Love & Chaos
by My Purple Skies
Summary: SEQUEL TO AN AGENT OF CHAOS Samantha is trying to move on past her Joker experience, but the Joker's not done with her. Not one bit. To make matters more interesting, a man who enters Samantha's life could change things for better or worse. "Riddle me this..." Rated T for psychotic behavior, violence, and menace.
1. Chapter 1

**(*Joker walks in to see My Purple Skies working on the sequel. But what is this? Someone is sitting beside her as she types.* "Uh… what is _that_?" *Both girls look up.* Me= "Um, _that_ is a girl, moron." "I know what it is! Who is she?" "This is Darkschik and she's here to make sure you stop bothering me while I work on my story." *Darkschik waves at Joker* "Yo." *Joker grins* "Yea! Another person for me to annoy!" *Darkschik frowns and looks at My Purple Skies.* "What did you get me into?" *My Purple Skies clears throat*)**

**Uh, on a side note; I have to say that if it wasn't for The Joker Blogs and Scott McClure, this sequel never would have come into existence. I had gotten into a bit of a writer's block back in early 2009 when I first started writing this. Then I found The Joker Blogs on YouTube and it inspired me with new ideas! So, I'm gonna go ahead and state that: Yes, some of these ideas were inspired by TJB and there will be _a few_ quotes or moments that closely resemble TJB moments, but I do not take credit for those. I give the credit to Scott McClure and his brilliant writing and acting abilities. Hey, if any of my readers can spot those TJB moments, tell me in your review or send me a message, I'll give ya a shout out.**

**Also, I finally found the woman I would want to have play as Samantha Reads if this were a movie, and I think Yvonne Strahovski would be a perfect Samantha, but picture her with green eyes. I have a link to a picture of her on my profile in case you have no idea who I'm talking about. I'll also be posting pictures of who I imagine playing the other characters. Also, just a suggestion, listen to 'Unwell' by Matchbox Twenty during Harleen's first session with the Joker. I don't know why, but that song kept playing in my head while I wrote it. So, without further stalling, I present the first chapter of 'Love & Chaos'.**

Chapter One

"Harleen Quinzel? I'm Joan Leeland," a middle-aged woman in a white doctor's coat and short black hair said. She extended her arm to shake Harleen's hand and Harleen returned the gesture.

"Hi, Joan, call me Harley, everyone does," she replied with a bright smile.

She and Joan began to walk down the halls that were lined with patients' rooms. The inhabitants looked at them through their glass walls that also served as a door. After awhile Joan spoke.

"I must admit, I was surprised you wanted to intern here at Arkham."

Harleen shrugged. "Well, I've always had an attraction for extreme personalities."

She glanced at the cell to her left to see a strikingly, beautiful, young woman with fiery red hair, placing a potted plant on a shelf. The woman met her stare with contempt in her green eyes before looking away. Harley couldn't help but think of her dear friend Samantha's green eyes when she saw them. She quickly got back on the subject of her conversation.

"They're more exciting, more challenging."

"And more high profile?"

"You can't deny there's an element of glamour to these super criminals," Harleen admitted.

Joan stopped and faced Harleen. "I'll warn you right now," she said sternly, "these are hard core psychotics. If you're thinking about cashing in on them by writing a tell-all book, think again."

Harleen's attention was caught by someone whistling. She looked ahead at the far end of the hall. She was shocked to see the Joker leaning against the glass wall of his cell, eyes closed and whistling like he had not a care in the world.

Harleen walked over to his cell and stopped. She couldn't believe she was this close to him.

She stared at the Joker, taking in every detail. His face was covered in the clown paint. That made Harleen wrinkle her brow in confusion. She moved past that little detail and nearly gasped when he cracked an eyelid open and silenced his whistling.

His brown eye fell upon her and he opened both eyes. The Joker gave a grin and winked.

Harleen nearly jumped out of her skin when Joan walked up behind her and said, "They'd eat a novelist like you for breakfast."

Harleen smiled shyly and lifted a hand to cover the blush that was coloring her cheeks pink as she looked over her shoulder at Joan.

She made her way back to her and cast a backward glance at the Joker. "Why does he still have on his make-up?" she asked.

"We don't know where he's getting it. We've tried everything possible to keep his face clean but he always finds a way to cover it up again, so we just quit."

"Hmm…"

It took the rest of the day for Joan to be shown around Arkham. As soon as Joan finished giving Harleen a tour of the asylum, Harley went to her new office.

The lights were off and moonlight softly filtered through the window's blinds and splashed along the floor. Harleen set her briefcase down next to the door when her light blue eyes caught sight of something on her desk. She stepped over and saw a small, white porcelain vase with a single purple rose bud inside.

A card was tied to the vase which read; _**"Come and see me any time. –J."**_

Harleen's heart thudded.

"J!" she whispered.

"_The Joker? How did he get out of his cell? Is he still lose? Did they put him back,_" she wondered.

Harleen took a calming breath and exhaled. She could answer all her questions just by going to his cell and seeing for herself. Yeah, that's what she would do.

Harleen took a step away from her desk and paused. If she did find him in his cell, she'd have to confront him, and she'd be breaking her promise to Samantha.

Harleen thought back to the conversation that had taken place only four days ago.

She had been jogging in the park on the way to Gotham's gym to do some gymnastics when she came across Samantha Reads on her jog route.

"What's cookin', good lookin'?"

The blond-haired woman turned around and her face broke into a grin when she recognized her friend, Harleen. "Hi, Harley," she greeted.

Harley slowed her pace when she came up next to Samantha. "Hi-ya, Sammy, how's it going?"

"It's alright, I guess. I haven't had to dodge the reporters as much lately," Samantha told her, referring to her involvement in last week's incident with the Joker and his antics.

The reporters had hounded Samantha, trying to get a story from her about being a hostage of the Joker. More specifically, being the only hostage the Joker had taken with him, alone, to one of the top floors of the Prewitt Building.

Samantha sighed and fiddled with the draw strings of her white hoodie. "So, how's it going with you?" she asked.

"My internship at Arkham starts in a few days. I can't wait to begin doing my research!" Harley squealed.

Samantha cocked an eyebrow. "Where was that enthusiasm in high school?" she joked.

Harleen giggled. "I'm serious, Sammy."

"Well then, you might want to try toning it down with the accent, honey."

Harley gave a fake pout. She had been trying hard to sound professional for the job and hiding her unprofessionally thick Brooklyn accent.

Samantha let out a quiet laugh and they walked over to a park bench. "Who will you be researching?"

"Oh, the costumed wackos, they're so interesting."

"Harley… Please _do not_ try to have the Joker as your patient. _Please._"

"Oh calm down, Sammy."

Samantha suddenly grabbed Harley tightly by the arms. "Listen to me; I am _terrified_ of this man! I haven't been able to walk out the door without looking over my shoulder to see if he's there! I saw him do things without hesitation that other criminals with a shred of mercy in them would hesitate at! I can't begin to think of what he'd do to you!"

Harleen was in silent shock at Samantha's words. She released Harleen and sat down on the bench. She put her head in her hands and sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry, Harley," she apologized.

Harley sat next to Samantha and put an arm around her shoulders.

"I keep hearing his voice, seeing him…feeling him," Samantha murmured the last part in a breathless whisper. "I'm always afraid that he'll escape." She turned to look at her friend. "Stay away from him," she warned.

"The Joker's in Arkham now. Dr. Arkham himself assured me that it's very secure, you're safe from him," Harley assured Samantha.

"But he's a genius. He may be painted like a clown but, Harley; you have no idea how intelligent the guy can be. I've _seen_ it."

Harleen hesitated to ask, but the question had been nagging her ever since Samantha had been rescued by the S.W.A.T team at the Prewitt Building.

"What did he do to you?"

She braced herself for Samantha to tell her something horrible, something personal; like he had raped her or something, but instead…..

"Nothing. He didn't beat me, rape me, cut me, or any of that stuff. I saw him kill people like it was as normal as blinking, but with me…Sure, he was rough when he handled me and he threatened me several times, but… It's just…_him_. He's evil. That's all he is."

Harleen didn't know what to think. If the Joker had done nothing to her, how evil was he to make Samantha this terrified? What had she seen?

Harleen's mind came back to the present as she stood there, staring at the purple rose.

In a way, she felt as though she had broken her promise just by staring at him that morning. There was something oddly familiar about him. That smile… that wink. So familiar….

Harleen took off her glasses and picked up the rose. She inhaled its aroma and smiled. Her cell phone buzzed inside her coat pocket.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Harley."

"Hi-ya, Sammy!"

"So how was your first day at the asylum?"

"I saw the Joker," Harley blurted. She inwardly groaned. _"Great, Harl," _she told herself. Harley hastened to explain it better. "I didn't speak to him or anything. I had to pass by his cell and he winked at me."

"He winked at you?"

"Yeah, ya know there's something familiar about him, Sammy, like we met before or something."

There was silence from Samantha. After six seconds, she finally spoke. "Harley, stay away from him."

Harleen wondered if she should mention the rose.

"_No, it will only upset her even more."_

She gently placed the flower back in its delicate vase.

"I will, Samantha."

They got off the phone seven minutes later and Harley glanced at the rose. She decided to go back to the cell and confront the Joker. She grabbed the card and headed out the door.

"Only this once," she told herself.

…

She found the Joker in his cell, lying in bed with his hands behind his head.

Harleen strode determinedly up to his cell's glass wall and held up the card between her thumb and index finger. "Care to tell me how this got in my office?" she asked.

The Joker opened his eyes and grinned. "I put it there," he said simply.

Harleen folded her arms and frowned. "I think the guards would be interested to know you've been out of your cell."

"If you _really_ were going to tell, you already would've." He shot out of bed and jumped onto the small table that was part of the sparse furniture in his cell, and placed his hands on the glass wall separating them. "Ya know sweets, I've liked what I've heard about you, especially the name; _Har-ley Quin-zel._ Rework it a bit and you get Harley Quinn," he said, his face still grinning.

Harleen put the card inside her coat pocket. "Like the clown character; Harlequin. I know, I've heard it before," she said in a dull tone. All through high school people had told her that.

"It's a name that puts a smile on my face." He pointed to his scars. "Can't ya tell?" he snickered.

There was silence between them.

Harley looked into the Joker's eyes and was startled to find that they resembled a puppy dog's brown eyes. She turned and began to walk away before he noticed her staring.

She hadn't gone far when the Joker's voice called out to her.

"It makes me feel there's someone here that I can relate to, someone who might like to hear my _secretsss_."

Harleen froze.

Had she heard him right? This is what she had wanted!

She smiled. When she turned back around, no hint of a smile was on her face.

"Really?" she asked, suspiciously.

He raised an eyebrow and gave her a charming grin. Again, Harleen felt as though she had met him before.

"I'll keep that in mind," she replied and walked away, not hearing the low chuckle the Joker let escape when she was out of sight.

….

Harleen was able to get permission from Dr. Arkham himself that she could have the Joker as her patient and was told that she could start her sessions in three months. She came out of the building carrying copies of reports on the Joker. By the time she would have her first session with him, she'd be prepared for anything he'd dish out.

Her red cell phone chirped and she looked at the caller I.D. to see it was Samantha.

"Hi-ya, Sammy."

"Harleen! I've been asked out!"

"By who?"

"Meet me at The Green Willows restaurant and I'll tell you all about it."

…

They were seated at a booth by the windows and ordered the soup of the day when Samantha finally told her the name of the man.

"His name is Edward Nigma."

"Doesn't sound familiar."

"Well…he's kinda known. He's in the newspaper."

Harleen gasped and she gripped the edge of the table as she leaned forward. "Sammy, you're dating a reporter?" she gasped in excitement.

"No."

"No?"

"He's the crossword puzzle designer."

Harleen was quiet for a few seconds. "… Really?"

"I know it's not the most impressive job in the world, but he enjoys it and he's good at it. He's also in to riddles, and he's smart and funny, and good mannered and..." Samantha trailed off when she saw the mischievous grin on Harley's face.

"Mh-hmmm. How did you meet him?"

"I was working on the crossword puzzle in the newspaper while waiting for the bus at the bus stop. I got stuck on this one clue and he leaned over and told me the answer. It was such an off the wall answer, I asked him how he knew and he laughed and said, 'Because I made it.'"

Samantha felt a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Harleen lifted an eyebrow and let out a breathless laugh. "Wow…Haven't seen one of those in a while," she said.

"Seen what?"

Harleen pointed at Samantha's face, a teasing smile on her face. "A 'Crush Smile' on_ your_ face," Harleen explained.

Samantha hid her face by turning to look away.

"Is he cute?"

"Adorably handsome," she admitted.

Harley gave a dramatic dreamy sigh. "Those are the best kinds."

They both giggled until the waiter brought their orders and left.

"Well, you deserve to have a nice date…you know, considering what you've been through recently."

It grew very quiet.

"Please don't mention him again," Samantha asked.

"My lips are sealed." Harleen mimed zipping her lips. "So, when's the date?" she asked later on.

"Tonight."

"Then what are ya doing here and talking to me for? Go home, get dolled up!"

…

Samantha stood in front of her full length mirror in her room, trying to decide which dress to wear. She held up a purple dress and studied her reflection. Suddenly her mind flashed back to Bruce Wayne's party when she was in the elevator with the Joker.

"_By the way, I like the dress. It's a great color for you. I should know."_

She shivered and threw the dress on to her bed. Samantha finally settled on a nice blue dress that she hadn't worn in a while.

…

He was waiting for her at Café de Bleu and was extremely nervous. He constantly ran his fingers through his red hair and his golden brown eyes kept darting up to look at the door.

He was tall and very slim, scrawny in a sense, but not to the point of being unattractive. He had a handsome geek-like look to him.

Edward drummed his fingers on the table and took a deep breath.

"_I shouldn't be doing this. This is ridiculous." _

But Samantha had been so intriguing; he couldn't just leave her at that bus stop without seeing her again.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts about her, he didn't even notice Samantha come in and walk to his table.

"Hi," she greeted.

Edward's head snapped up to look at her. He leapt to his feet, banging his knees against the table in the process.

"Hello- Ouch!"

He immediately dropped back in his seat, holding his right knee in pain and grimacing.

"_Oh brilliant thing to do," _he scolded himself.

"Oh! Are you okay?" Samantha asked with a mixture of amusement and concern.

Edward laughed at his own clumsiness and stood back up. "I'm fine. I just half expected you to not show up," he explained.

Geez, she was even more beautiful than he remembered.

He gestured towards the seat opposite of him and nervously ran a hand through his hair.

"I had to pay you back for your helping me with the crossword puzzle."

"Thanks."

There was an awkward silence.

"Sooo," Samantha began, "you like riddles?"

Edward grinned. "Love them," he answered.

"Well, why don't you tell me a few riddles and try to answer them?"

Edward lifted an eyebrow but shrugged. He interlocked his fingers and popped his knuckles.

"Alright… 'What word do people spell correctly but always incorrectly?'"

Samantha thought a moment and smiled when she thought of the answer. "Incorrectly. The answer is 'Incorrectly.'"

"Bravo!" Edward gave her a small applause but was quite apparent that he was enjoying this.

It went on like that for a while as they ate; he'd give a riddle, she'd answer him. Most of them she'd get right, sometimes she'd get them wrong, but most of the time, she'd answer correctly.

Both of them would have liked to keep talking but it was getting late and Gotham City was not the place to walk around at night, let alone in the day. Edward walked her to her apartment and up to her door.

"I'd like to see you again, Samantha."

"Then I guess you'd need a way to contact me, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, how would I do that?"

"Well, there's this new invention called a telephone that people use to call each other."

"And how do they know they're called the right person?"

"They have a telephone number that no one else has."

"Really?"

"Yeah, so I guess if we want to talk to each other, we'll have to exchange numbers."

Edward chuckled. "Do you mind?" he asked.

Samantha was already writing her number down on his hand. "Just be sure to avoid water until you copy it on paper," she advised with a smile.

"Yes, ma'am," Edward laughed and said good night, walking away with a big grin on his face.

…

~Three Months Later~

Harleen walked into Arkham Asylum feeling confident even though she was fifteen minutes late for her first session with the Joker.

It had taken all those months to set this up and during that time she had been doing some hard studying of his gimmicks and felt prepared. Also during those three months, she had watched Samantha and Edward's relationship grow stronger and closer. It was good to see Samantha laughing again. She had Edward to thank for that.

A guard was waiting at the door of the room Harleen and the Joker would be having their sessions.

"Has he said anything yet?" she asked.

"No ma'am. He went in quietly, no fuss."

Harleen nodded and took a deep breath.

This was really happening. She was going to break her promise.

"I'm going to Hell," she muttered.

Harleen opened the door and briskly walked to the empty chair opposite of the Joker and sat down.

"Sorry, I'm late," she apologized as she took out a yellow notepad and pen from her brief case.

He gave a shrug. "I've got all the time in the world." He leaned back in his chair, put his feet on the table and placed his hands behind his head.

Harleen had requested that his handcuffs be removed. It had taken a lot of arguing but in the end, she won.

Harleen adjusted her glasses and poised her pen above her notepad, ready to take notes.

The Joker stared at her in silence for a few seconds. "Sooo, what do we talk about?" he finally asked.

"Anything you want."

"Well, what if I don't_ want_ to talk?"

"These sessions are meant for talking."

"How 'bout _you _talk and _I_ listen, hm?"

"That's not how it goes."

The Joker gave a fake suspicious look. "I'm not sure I feel entirely comfortable talking to a doctor who I know nothing about, no matter how beautiful she is."

Harleen chose to ignore the comment.

"That's not what you said three months ago. Besides, it's against protocol to give our patients personal information about ourselves."

"Why's that?"

"Safety reasons."

The Joker quirked his eyebrows and licked his lips. "Are you afraid of little ol' me?"

Harleen looked him in the eye. "My friend warned me not to underestimate you."

"Sounds to me like you're friend's a little paranoid."

"She has a good reason."

"Oh really? Such as?"

"We're getting off the subject. This session is supposed to be about you, not my friend."

"But you just said that these sessions involve talking and that's just what I'm doing."

"That's not exactly what-,"

"Oh alright, fine. Have it your way."

Harleen sighed and rubbed her temples. "Let's start over," she suggested.

"Okay."

"We'll start with your name."

"Joker."

"No, your real name. What is your real name?"

The Joker gave a grin and chuckled. "Wouldn't you like to know…?"

"Alright then, since you refuse to tell me, I'll have to assign you to the name of Mr. J."

"I'd prefer it if I was called by the name everyone knows me by, which _is _my, uh, real name."

Harleen had a sassy smile on her face. "I'm sorry, but being called after a _card _is not your name and since you refuse to tell me any other name, you'll have to deal with being called 'J'."

The Joker sighed and looked away. "Might as well."

Harleen scribbled a note down; _Refuses to tell birth name._

"Let's try something else," Harleen said. "Do you have any interests? Any hobbies?"

"Creating chaos; what about you," he asked with a big grin as he leaned forward with his elbows on the table.

Harleen wanted to bang her head on the table. She hadn't expected him to be so…so…

"Okay…Let's try talking about your sense of moral, or lack thereof."

"You think I'm the wrong one?"

"Of course. You may be unaware of it, but you have absolutely no sense of the difference between right and wrong."

He chuckled and moistened his lips. "Oh, I know the difference. Well, that is, I know what _so-ci-ety's _view of what's right and wrong. All these rules…who established these boundaries anyway?... Hm? Think about it… Who says that right is right and wrong is wrong? Who? It's just been assumed, because _a long time ago, _some self-righteous person decided to make up the rules.

'But who's to say that they were the, uh, _right-ah_ rules? What if that person was the _craaazy _one and _I'm_ the guy who figured out the hidden truth?"

Harleen tilted her head to the side, curious. "And the hidden truth being?"

The Joker lifted both hands up while his elbows remained in contact with the table's surface. He wiggled his fingers around through the air. "That everything we've been taught is wrong and that a world without rules is the only way to live. _I'm_ not the crazy one…I just figured it out before everyone else and they refuse to believe it. Like an atheist refusing to believe there's a God."

"Do you believe there's a God, Mr. J?"

The Joker tilted his head back to look at her and licked his lips. He gave a mysterious smile and leaned back in his seat.

"Let's just say, God's been good to me. I mean, Gotham is just a peach cobbler in the morning. Don't you think? …My realization is why they put me in here, because, _this is where they put the people who know the truth._ People like me.

'See, I, uh, I don't live the lie that you and everyone else lives. I try to show everyone the Truth and you send me into Arkham to try to," he cleared his throat, "_Cure _me… The reason why you doctors fail at curing me is because there's nothing to cure! I'm sane! But noooo, you can't accept that. You can't accept that I'm sane because there _just has_ to be something wrong with me. I'm too _diff-er-ent-ah_ to be normal. No, no, no, no. I couldn't possibly be normal. I'm not like anyone else.

'You don't want to admit that the so called _civilized _people out there, are the insane ones. I keep telling Batman that, but he is sooo…_set_ in his beliefs…but one of these days, I'll reach him. Something will finally click in that cowled head of his and he'll finally see. He'll be…just. Like. Me. Then after that, when Gotham's 'symbol' realizes the truth and quits living the façade that society has instilled in him…thousands of others will get it." The Joker chuckled and murmured,

"One by one, they'll hear my call.

Then this wicked town will follow my fall."

He paused and gazed at Harleen. "You know, you look kinda nervous doc… Relaaaax… I don't plan on hurting you."

Harleen shook herself out of her daze and cleared her throat. "Uh, plans, that reminds me…" she tried to collect her thoughts and started again. "You've told people that you have no plans, that you just do things. I find that hard to believe."

The Joker chewed on the inside of his cheek and grunted. "Looks like that's not the only thing you don't believe."

Harleen glared at him. "Don't change the subject. I find it hard to believe that you just robbed that mob bank without preparing and planning it for weeks, maybe even months, ahead. You needed to know the codes, what kind of safe you'd be up against, when the school let out, the bus schedule, and so many other details. It's impossible to accomplish all that on 'spur of the moment' impulses."

The Joker gave a cheeky grin. "Then I must have _really_ good impulses," he said charmingly.

"There's also the way you escaped the MCU. The explosive you planted in that unfortunate thug's body-,"

The Joker let out a snicker of remembrance.

_It had gone off perfectly…_

Harleen lifted an eyebrow and continued. "The distraction of kidnapping Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes to lure Commissioner Gordon and Batman away so you could follow through with kidnapping Lau and escaping, all points to planning ahead."

The Joker hummed with amusement. "Hmmmmm, my, my, my, someone's been doing their homework," he said.

Harleen smiled pleasantly. "I like to know what I'm dealing with before I take on a patient," she explained.

The Joker seemed to pout in disappointment. 'Hm, for a moment there, I thought I had a fan."

"Well, you thought wrong. Do you still hold to your statement of not planning?"

The Joker was silent for a few seconds, then he leaned on the table, his eyes trained on Harleen. "How much time have you spent planning our session?" he asked.

"Do not change the subje-,"

"Come on, how much time?"

"What has that got to do-?"

"Has it even gone according to plan?"

"No, not exactly."

"Nothing ever does, sweetheart, trust me. There's always gonna be one thing that gets thrown in and upsets the established order. The wild card, as it were. It's unpredictable…it has no plans, it just _is_."

"You're referring to the Joker card in a deck?"

"That's right. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Reminds me of someone…" he let out a laugh, "oh yeah! Me! See, doc, that's why plans are useless. More people should act on those 'spur of the moment impulses' more often. Don't you think?"

"Then there would be more people like you."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's horrible."

"By what definition? It _aaall_ goes back to those 'rules' _your_ society follows. Why do you think I'm horrible? … Beeeecause it's what _they_ taught you to think. Are you really thinking your own thoughts? Or are you thinking how you've been taught to think?"

Harleen stared at him in a stupor.

His words swirled in her head, making her a bit disoriented. How could someone like him be able to make the outrageous sound plausible?

She flipped through the questions she had written down to ask him and tried to choose one.

"Uh, what, uh, what turned you into this person that you are now? Can you remember what led you down this path?"

The Joker was silent. He slouched in his seat and moved his hands from behind his head to lie on his stomach, interlocking his fingers. He looked at his hands for a moment and sniffed.

Harleen watched his brown eyes move from his hands to her face. She looked away and readied her pencil to begin writing.

"Ya know, my father use to beat me up pretty badly."

Harleen looked up from her notepad with a start. She hadn't been prepared for that.

"Every time I got out of line," he swung his fist, "BAM! Or sometimes I'd be just sitting there doing nothing, POW! Pops tended to favor the grape, you see?"

Harleen quickly nodded. "Uh-huh."

He had her full attention now. "There was only one time I ever saw dad really happy. He took me to the circus when I was seven." He sighed happily at the memory. "Oh I still remember the clowns running around, dropping their pants." The Joker gave a laugh as he leaned forward and placed his hands on the table.

"My old man laughed so hard, I thought he'd bust a gut! So the very next night, I ran out to meet him with his best Sunday pants around my ankles. 'Hi, dad, look at me!' Zwoop! I took a big pratfall and tore the crotch clean out of his pants!"

Harleen tried to suppress the giggles she could feel developing but the Joker's laughter was contagious. She joined him in a laughing fit as tears began to stream down her eyes. She removed her glasses to wipe them away.

The Joker suddenly stopped laughing.

"And then he broke my nose."

Harleen gasped at the sudden change in his demeanor.

He just shrugged and leaned back in his seat with his hands behind his head. "But hey, that's the down side of comedy. You're always taking shots from folks who just don't get the joke, like my dad…or Batman," he added darkly.

Suddenly Harleen's cellphone rang and she hurriedly dug it out of her brief case and answered it. She'd forgotten that she brought it in with her.

"Hello?"

"Harley? It's me, Samantha."

"Hi-ya, Samantha."

The Joker's eyes locked onto her and gleamed.

Harleen suddenly realized that she shouldn't have said Samantha's name in front of him. But she had been so caught off guard by her call that it just slipped out! And she had used her real name too, not her nickname! Of all times for her to call, it had to be when Harleen was breaking her promise!

"How's it going over there?" Samantha asked.

Harleen noticed the Joker paying close attention to her conversation with a look in his eyes that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"It's going great. I'm actually in the middle of a session right now."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Call me back as soon as you get the chance."

"No problem, Samantha."

Harleen winced. She just did it again!

Harley hung up and the Joker met her gaze. He slowly ran his tongue over his lips as he brought his hands down from being a head rest. "Samantha, as in, Samantha Reads?" he asked.

Harleen busied herself with her notes and he gave a sly grin. "It was," he said in a smug tone of voice.

Harleen cleared her throat. "Let's continue with our session."

The Joker shrugged.

He said nothing else about the phone call but Harleen could tell that he was thinking about it the entire time.

By the end of the session, Harleen had plenty of notes. She felt it had gone well.

The Joker was escorted back to his cell and Harleen followed along as got out her red cell phone. The Joker watched as she dialed the number.

"Hi-ya, Sammy, it's me, I can talk now…"

Her voice began to fade as she walked away. Harleen didn't notice the Joker straining to hear her and watch until she was out of sight.

He flicked his tongue over his bottom lip and sighed through his nose.

"_Harleen Quinzel…you might be my ticket out of here…"_

It was really funny. He remembered Harleen as the giggling teenager who had a crush on him in high school. Maybe he'd use that to his advantage, maybe he wouldn't. He didn't have a fixed idea at the moment. He didn't even have a plan. Plans never worked out; which got him thinking of the things in his past that he had not planned on. Like Samantha.

He had not planned on letting her go at the party in Bruce Wayne's penthouse, he did not plan on letting her see his face… he just did. He _did not _plan on…letting her get _under his skin. _

He suddenly recalled the promise he made her in high school, that one day he'd make her laugh.

"_Smile for me, Samantha…" _

He started to hum 'Sway' to himself and giggled.

Maybe he should tell Harleen one of his stories of how he got his scars. Which one would he use? The story about his father? The one about his wife? Or how about the one where he was attacked by gangsters as a child?

Maybe he should let her ask. He'd get to that later.

The Joker began to laugh softly, then louder, then long howls of laughter. He began to laugh so hard and uncontrollably that he couldn't breathe. He slid his back against the wall as he lowered himself to the floor with one arm wrapped around his middle.

_This city has no idea what's in store for them…._

…...


	2. Chapter 2

**(I decided to tell you who I picture as The Riddler/Edward Nigma. I think David Tennant would have made a wonderful Riddler. Me and my friend were devastated when we found out that the Riddler would not be in the third Batman movie. But, oh well, at least I can still write about him. Also, I've been thinking of Reese Witherspoon as Harley Quinn. What do you think?)**

Chapter Two

Harleen walked out of the building and to her car. She pressed her cell phone to her ear as she dug her car keys out of her purse.

"I'm starving, how about I pick you up from work and we go to Green Willows to eat?" Harleen asked Samantha over the phone.

"That's fine with me. I have something to tell you, something _big_!" Samantha said excitedly.

"We'll talk in the car when I get you. See ya then." Harley hung up the phone and climbed into her car.

As she drove to the hospital that was sharing its building with Gotham General's doctors, nurses, and patients since the explosion, Harleen thought of ways to avoid talking about her session with the Joker.

Problem was… she couldn't lie to Samantha.

When Samantha got in the car, Harleen felt her heart sink.

"So how did your session go?" Samantha asked.

It was just typical that the question she wanted to avoid was the first one to be asked.

"It went very well," Harleen replied, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Who did you have your session with?"

Harleen fell silent.

That was the second question that was supposed to be avoided.

Samantha eyed her when she didn't answer. "Harley, who did you have your session with?"

"Jonathan Crane, also known as; The Scarecrow. I'd rather not talk about it, it was very disturbing; all that talk about fears…" She faked a shiver.

Samantha looked convinced. "He is messed up in the head," she agreed. She let a grin slowly take over her mouth. "I spent some time with Edward last night."

"Yeah?" Harleen looked at her friend out of the corner of her eye.

Samantha started fiddling with the hem of her long sleeve which she had pulled over her left hand.

"What fastens two people yet touches only one?" She asked mysteriously.

"What?" Harleen questioned.

"What fastens two people yet touches only one?' It's a riddle Edward told me the other night."

"I don't know. What is it?"

"A wedding ring."

Samantha uncovered her left hand to reveal a diamond ring; an engagement ring.

Harleen flipped out and almost caused the car to swerve into the only lane.

"He proposed?" she squealed.

Samantha nodded and laughed.

"When's the wedding? When is it?" Harleen asked excitedly.

"Soon."

"Grab a napkin and write down the date for me, I'll forget if you tell me."

"Where are they?"

"In the glove compartment."

Samantha opened the glove compartment to grab a napkin and her hand froze mid-reach inside. She pulled out a copy of the Joker's file Harley had carried with her for the past three months.

Harleen winced.

Samantha held it up and looked at Harleen in disbelief and then anger.

"Oh my gosh, Harleen, you did not-!" she hissed.

"I'm sorry, Sammy," Harleen squeaked.

Samantha slammed the folder onto the dashboard.

"Geez, Harleen!"

She propped her elbow on the window and put her head in her hand. She ran her fingers through her hair. "You promised! How could you go back on your promise?"

"I know, I know. He told me he'd share his secrets with me, things he never told anyone."

Samantha scoffed. "Oh really?"

"Yes, I couldn't pass it up!"

Harleen pulled over to the restaurant's parking lot and parked.

For a moment, there was silence, except for the sounds of the city outside. Samantha stayed in her position, not looking at Harleen.

"I told you to not go near him…to protect you from him. You have no idea what he's capable of." She finally looked at Harley.

"I think I can decide what to do with my life, Sammy."

"It's your life that could be in danger! Does he know we're friends?"

"I was having my session with him when you called."

"Then he heard you use my name," Samantha sighed with frustration.

"Sammy, when I said your name in there, he changed. I can't explain on how he changed, but I could feel something shift the second I said your name."

Samantha didn't know what to say. Her best friend had betrayed her…

"Harleen…how could you?"

"I'm really sorry, Sammy, but I couldn't pass up on the Joker dishing out secrets. Do you know how much fame I could gain if I published a book about The Clown Prince of Crime?"

"And do you know how much danger you've put yourself in?" Samantha snapped.

_Clown Prince of Crime?... _

The two of them stared at each other.

"Sammy, I don't want to argue, but I think you're overreacting."

"Overreacting! Harleen!"

Samantha could have screamed with outrage but stopped herself. She slammed her fist on the dashboard and became still and silent.

"…You know what…forget it. Do what you want. I'm not going to be involved."

Samantha unbuckled herself and climbed out of the car.

"Sammy, wait!" Harleen called.

She opened her door and stood up, only to be jerked back into her seat by her seatbelt. "Stupid thing," she grumbled and hurriedly unbuckled herself. She jumped out of the car and quickly caught up with Samantha.

"Hey, Sammy, come on. Don't be like this," she begged.

Samantha kept walking.

"Samantha, don't be mad!"

Samantha suddenly turned around to face her. "Mad? I'm furious!"

Harleen had never seen her so angry.

"You have absolutely no idea, not even the slightest clue, as to what I had gone through, and you have the_ nerve_ to say I'm _overreacting_?"

"Just slightly."

"No, I'm not! If you knew the living Hell I went through with that man, if he can be called such a thing, then you wouldn't be saying that."

Harleen winced at the tone of her voice and they stood there for a minute in silence.

"Harleen… I don't think we should talk to each other for a bit, until we've had time to cool down," Samantha suggested.

Harleen slowly nodded and put a hand to the back of her neck. "Can I give you a ride back?" she asked.

"I'll take a cab."

Harleen nodded again and bit her lip before turning and walking to the car. She looked over her shoulder at Samantha and sighed.

_What have I done?_

She got into her car and pulled out of the restaurant's parking lot.

Harleen had a feeling that her friendship with Samantha had forever been altered…. Sammy didn't even tell her when the wedding was going to be…..

…

Samantha groaned with disgust as rain began to pour down on her and wished she had brought an umbrella. She tried to hail a taxi but none stopped, so she continued trudging in the rain to her apartment. Occasionally, she'd keep trying to get a cab but still she was ignored.

"_That's Gotham for you."_

By the time she arrived at her apartment, she was soaked to the bone. She quickly changed into dry clothes and collapsed on her couch, sighing deeply.

She found herself humming to the song 'Sway' and stopped.

To Samantha, 'Sway' was her and…ugh. It sounded so wrong, but; 'Sway' was her and the Joker's song.

He had danced with her to that song in high school and she even had dreams of him while the song played in the background of her mind. They were never nice dreams though.

She caught herself humming to it again.

Geez, it was like the song that got stuck in your head and would never leave!

"Stop it!" Samantha said to herself out loud.

"_**Why? It's our song, Esmeralda," **_she could imagine him saying. It sounded so clear.

"_**Esmeraldaaa,"**_ his voice seemed to call.

Samantha squeezed her eyes shut.

"Shut up!"

This time she could hear him laughing at her. She was surrounded by his voice! She tossed and turned on the couch, covering her ears; trying to get rid of the sound.

He was taunting her, teasing her, flirting with her. His husky, alto voice came again and said_**, "You'll never get away from me." **_

"_But I have. You're in Arkham."_

"_**What makes you think I'll stay in this old building, hm? **__**Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha**__**Ha!"**_

Ugh! That voice!

This was what he had done to her. She would hear him speaking to her as clear as day inside her mind. In a way, he had damaged her without even using a knife.

The phone rang, cutting off the sound of his laughter.

Samantha thanked God for telephones and ran to the kitchen phone. She picked it up after the third ring.

"Hello?"

"How's my beautiful bride-to-be?" Edward asked.

Samantha managed a weak smile.

"A little frustrated. I got into a major fight with Harleen."

"What about?" Edward asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Remember what I told you about the Joker?"

"Yes."

"She broke her promise."

"Really? Why would she do that?"

"She said he promised to tell her some secrets about himself but I'm willing to bet my life that they were all lies."

"I'm sorry about that."

"Nothing for you to be sorry for. I didn't even tell her when our wedding will be."

"Ouch."

"Don't make me feel worse."

"Sorry."

Samantha smiled as she opened a cabinet, grabbed a cup, and fixed her a coke. She gave a long sigh which Edward heard over the phone.

"Are you certain you're alright with having the wedding in two months? Because, if you'd rather wait until this thing with Harley blows over so she can attend the wedding, I won't mind," he asked.

"I'm keeping the date."

Edward sighed into the phone. "The woman's mind is the greatest riddle of all," he said.

Samantha gave a tired laugh.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Edward said and hung up.

Samantha put the phone down and stared at her engagement ring for a moment.

Maybe things would get better…?

…..

Harleen tapped her pencil on her notepad, not paying attention to her patient. Her mind was on the argument she and Samantha had had over a week ago.

She was staring at the table surface, lost in thought, when a hand with white paint splotches waved itself into her line of view.

"Hello?" a voice said.

Harleen jumped. "Huh?"

She looked up to see the Joker staring at her from the other end of the table.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Are you aware that I'm in here?" he asked.

"Uh, I'm sorry. Where were we?"

The Joker leaned over the table and looked at her blank notepad. He grinned.

"By the looks of your notes, or lack thereof, we didn't even start."

Harleen's face burned.

"Is something bothering you?" he asked.

For the past week, Harleen had little by little, been sharing bits and pieces of her own personal information with him. Her research showed that he responded better when she opened up to him.

"It's nothing," she said.

His brown eyes remained fixed on her face.

She sighed. "It's my friend," she finally told him.

The Joker leaned back from the table. "What about her?" He kept his hand on the table, fingers fiddling with something unseen.

"We got into an argument."

"Uh-hm."

"About you."

The Joker's scarred lips slowly pulled back into a grin. "About _me_?" he repeated.

"She told me to stay away from you. Obviously I didn't listen."

"Of course not."

"And she found out about our sessions and we argued. She said she didn't want tah speak to me for a while."

"Well it was your choice, not hers."

"Huh?"

"It's _your _career, not hers. Who is this 'friend' who holds you back from your goals? ... Doesn't exactly sound like a friend to me."

Harleen found herself nodding.

"You know what? You're absolutely right," she said with some surprise.

Who would have known that this man, of all people, would have some good advice?

The Joker put both hands on the table, palms up. "Glad to be of assistance."

Harleen looked her patient over.

Maybe through their sessions they'd help each other, not just him. She hadn't seen anything aggressive in him yet, which just proved that Samantha had been overreacting. He was a normal guy underneath all the clown make-up.

Harleen realized that she had been staring at his face for a while now…and he was grinning. She quickly looked down at her notepad.

"Let's talk about you now," she suggested.

"Why? Why does it _always have to be about me?" _he sing-songed. "Why can't we talk about you for a change?" the Joker asked as he leaned forward again. His fingers brushed hers and lingered there for a moment.

Harleen slowly removed her hand from his touch and cleared her throat.

"There's nothing to discuss about me."

"Oh, I bet there is, my dear Harley Quinn."

"Harley Quinn? Must I remind you to address me as Dr. Quinzel?"

"Ah, but is that what you want? It's not who you really are, is it? This, uh, this person that you try to be… _Harleen Quinzel_… she's a joke. A walking, talking joke. She's not the _real _you… Nooo, the real you is somewhere screaming in agreement with me, begging to be released. Wanting ou_t-ah_… out of all this. You see, madness is the emergency exit. You can just step outside, and close the door on all those dreadful things that happened. You can lock them away…forever. _Aaa_ll the problems… worries… heartbreak… they fade into the background. That's what madness does for you… it sets. You. Free."

"Have you experienced heartbreak, Mr. J?"

"Ha. Who hasn't?"

"Would you like to tell me about it?"

"The things I've gone through shouldn't be heard by a girl like you."

"But that's what I'm here for; to listen."

"That's your jo_b-ah _to listen to the many problems of us patients, but do you really care? Do you really care if we ever get better? The doctors and police claim they throw me here to be _rehabilitated-ah,_ but they don't believe it. Only _you_ seem to think that I can be helped… got a crush on me or something?"

Harleen felt her cheeks going red and tried to cover them by readjusting her glasses and gathering up her notes.

"I-uh! Eh, um, this session is over," she stuttered and snapped her briefcase shut.

"Aww, and just when I was getting to know you," the Joker pouted, playfully.

"I'm going to be late for a meeting with a Doctor Hugo Strange."

"Strange?" the Joker snickered. "That's a… well, that's a strange name."

Harleen allowed herself to smile at his comment and left the room.

…..

Samantha and Edward walked hand in hand down the city's walk way, looking through the store windows at various merchandise.

"So, how's the situation about the hospital?" Edward asked her.

"I have a feeling it's going to be a very long time before they try to rebuild Gotham General. For now, its staff is stuck sharing with another hospital. It's utter chaos…. That's probably how the Joker meant for it to be."

Edward brought Samantha's hand to his lips and placed a kiss on it. "Don't worry about it," he told her gently.

She sighed but smiled at him. "Are your parents going to make it for the wedding?" Samantha asked.

Edward seemed to close up. "I'm not exactly on the best terms with my parents."

"Oh."

Edward gave her a smile and draped an arm over her shoulders. "What about your parents?" he asked.

"They died four years ago in a car accident."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm fine though. I keep thinking how grateful I am that they weren't around to go through this Joker and Scarecrow business that's happened recently. I know it's a terrible thing to say, but I'm glad I didn't have to worry about their safety."

"It's not terrible."

Samantha looked Edward in the eye to see he was telling the truth.

"Any news on Harley?" he asked.

Samantha shook her head. "No, and I'm worried."

"When are you not?"

Samantha gave him a playful punch to the shoulder. Edward wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked.

"I'm serious; do you realize how much you worry?"

"I wasn't always like this."

"What changed you?"

"_He _did."

"Ah. It all points back to the clown, huh?"

"Yeah. He gets to people, ya know? That's why I'm wondering if it was a smart idea to stop talking to Harley while she's having these sessions with him."

"It's going to be fine."

Samantha fiddled with her engagement ring. "I hope you're right, Edward."

"In the meantime, try worrying about other things, like, wedding things."

Samantha grinned. "I can do that," she said.

In her mind though, she was planning on something else. Something she knew Edward would not want her to do. She was beginning to connect the dots about Harleen and the Joker.

"_So he's telling her secrets, huh? The only reason he'd do something like that would be if he wanted something from her."_

She needed to learn more, and the only way to do that would be to talk to the Joker, face to face again.

…..

Harleen and Dr. Hugo Strange sat down in Strange's office.

"So, you are Doctor Harleen Quinzel?" Dr. Strange asked, looking at her over the rims of his glasses.

He had a strong accent that Harleen was having a hard time placing. Russian? German? Harleen couldn't tell.

She gave him a smile. "I like to be called Harley."

Dr. Strange grunted and ran his bluish grey eyes over some paper work. For some reason, Harley couldn't help but keep glancing at the man's bald head. Did he ever have hair?

"You are the doctor of the patient Joker? Very interesting."

"What's this all about, Dr. Strange? Why this meeting?"

"I'm curious about your patient, Dr. Quinzel, and your methods of treating him."

"My methods?"

"Is it true that you have told him a little about yourself?"

"…Yes."

"Why?"

"He seems to tell me more if I open up to him. If I don't… he's hostile, moody, and won't give direct answers."

"Have you considered any other options to get him to respond?" Dr. Strange asked impatiently.

Harleen was beginning to not like this man.

"Other options? Like what?" she asked.

"I am well studied in the subject of hypnosis. I have taken many courses and am considered an expert in that field."

Harleen frowned. "Hypnosis? I-,"

"I am very interested in your patient. He is practically a whole mystery. Under hypnosis, think of the answers we could discover. The inner workings of the Joker's mind. We could make history!"

Harleen stood up. "No," she said.

Dr. strange lifted an eyebrow. "No?"

"I won't allow it."

"But, Dr. Quinzel-?"

"By subjecting him to hypnosis, it will send a clear message to him saying that we do not trust him enough to tell us about himself. It will ruin the very trust that I have been striving to build between me and my Joker- Patient!" Harleen stuttered.

Dr. Strange did not seem to notice the slip up so she went on. "And also, it seems to me that you think I am not doing my job very well."

Dr. Strange stood up as well. "Dr. Quinzel, I am not belittling you. I'm merely suggesting that under hypnosis, he would respond _faster._ We could study him-."

"He's not a thing to experiment on!" Harleen shouted.

Dr. Strange was silent for a moment before he continued.

"Dr. Quinzel… I am also wondering about you."

"Me?"

"Yes. Your reason for choosing the Joker as your patient is… questionable."

"He's an interesting person."

Harleen winced. Psychologists were supposed to refer to their patients as patients or a case.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"I do not think so."

He went to a file cabinet and opened it. He searched through the files and finally selected one. He pulled it from the drawer, shut it, and placed the file on his desk.

"I have read your file-."

Harleen's face burned. "You read my file?" she said indignantly.

"I wanted to know the background of the patient's doctor," he explained.

Harleen clenched her teeth.

_Surely that's illegal?_

Strange leaned forward over his desk. "I found some _interesting_ information." He picked up the file and flipped through it. "In your file, it says that you are friends with a Miss Samantha reads. Is this the same Miss Reads who was involved with the Joker a few months ago?" he asked.

"She was _kidnapped_ by him," Harleen answered, being sure to put emphasis on the word 'kidnapped'. Involved just sounded too … intimate.

"My real question to you, Dr. Quinzel, is… are you really doing this for legitimate reasons?"

"What?"

"Are you really being a professional or are you emotionally involved with what happened to your friend? Are you letting your feelings get away from you? Are you hoping to discover what had happened between your friend and the Joker in those unknown hours?"

One by one the questions kept coming. Harleen felt like she was being attacked. Her head spun and her throat tightened.

How dare he question her motivation? Who did this Hugo Strange think he was?

Her whole body trembled with rage as he continued to stare at her with that unnerving gaze. She gripped the back of her chair until her knuckles turned white.

"NO!"she screamed.

Dr. Strange actually flinched.

She pointed a trembling finger at him. "My reasons for being the Joker's doctor are purely professional! And I won't have someone like you accuse them of bein' otherwise. You will not put my patient under hypnosis, you will not look up any more information about me, and you will not go anywhere near _My_ patient! Good-day, Dr. Strange!"

Harleen stormed out of his office, leaving him wide-eyed with surprise.

….

Harleen sat at home on her sofa, looking down at the wooden floor. She had let her long blond hair down and taken off her black high heels.

"_What happened back there?"_

She had completely lost her temper, that's what had happened.

Harleen let out a long, frustrated sigh and kicked her feet up onto the sofa.

She had called her patient 'My Joker'.

"_Where did that come from?"_ she wondered.

She removed her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

The Joker was beginning to grow on her. He wasn't like the other patients. He was interested in her, he listened to her.

When was the last time a man had actually talked to her about her problems and seemed like he actually cared? Harleen couldn't remember.

She remembered how his eyes had looked at her. Such brown eyes, they- wait!

This was a hard-core, psychotic criminal! What was she doing thinking about him like that?

But he had shared so much with her. He had told her some deep things about his past, like how he got his scars. How a gang of teenagers could carve a child's face like that and not show remorse, was beyond her. Unbelievable, but he had shared the painful memory with her.

Another subject Harleen had brought up with him had been Batman. "He's fun," the Joker had told her. "But he's soooooo… humorless. I'd like to get him to smile. I'd like to get everyone to smile… I like it when you smile… and laugh." He had paused and stared at her for a long time.

Harleen couldn't understand what was happening. What did she feel towards the Joker? Why did she crave to hear his compliments? She had so many questions.

Suddenly a thought came.

It soon became clear to her that the Joker, so often described as a raving, homicidal, madman, was actually a tortured soul crying out for love and acceptance. A lost, injured, child trying to make the world laugh at his antics, and there as always was the self-righteous Batman; determined to make life miserable for her angle!

Harleen clenched her fists.

She was so confused! She needed to talk to someone.

Unfortunately she and Samantha were not speaking to one another.

A light bulb lit up in her head.

_Yes…yes…_

In the morning she'd go and spill her questions and confusion, but right now she was bone tired and needed to go to bed. She pulled herself up from the sofa and dragged herself to her bedroom.

…..

The next morning, Samantha got out of her taxi and stared up at the large building called Arkham Asylum.

She couldn't believe she was about to do this. Was she really about to go in there and look the Joker in the eye again?

Yes, that was exactly what she was going to do.

She went to the visitors area and signed in, using her middle name instead of her first; Adrian Reads.

Because of the Joker being considered too dangerous, she would not be left alone in a visitor's room with him. Instead, they would place a guard with them and a thick panel of glass between them. A phone would be their only way to talk to each other.

The guard led her to where she should sit and left Samantha to go back to his post close by.

Samantha took a deep breath to calm herself. When the guards brought the Joker out, her heart skipped a beat.

A wicked grin spread along the clown's face once he saw her. The Joker sank into his chair behind the glass in front of Samantha. They both reached for their phones at the same time.

"Long time, no see," he said.

Samantha decided to get straight to the point. "I know what you're doing."

"Hm?"

"About Harleen Quinzel."

"What, uuuh, what _ex_actly do you think I'm doing?" he asked as he cocked his head to the side.

"Don't give me that!" Samantha snapped.

"Kinda touchy this morning, are we?"

"Don't play dumb. I know that Harleen is your doctor and I know that you've been sharing your 'secrets' with her. So what pack of lies have you been telling her?"

The Joker yawned. "It's a little early to be asking questions, isn't it?"

"Don't change the subject," she hissed.

The Joker silently tapped an unknown beat on the elbow rest in front of him as he said, "You've been thinking about me."

"Don't flatter yourself. I haven't been thinking about you."

He pointed a finger at her, the tip pressed against the glass. "Oh yes you have, don't lie to me." He wet his lips and chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"What makes you think I've thought about you?" Samantha asked, still trying to bluff her way out of the question.

"Because you're here."

"I'm here because of Harley!"

The Joker leaned towards her, grinning. "And by thinking of Harley, you begin to think of _me_."

He snickered when he saw the look on Samantha's face. He was right.

He moved closer. "Does it disturb you to know, that I know how your mind works?"

Samantha looked away and he eased back in his chair.

"Stay away from Harleen. Ask for another doctor."

"Are you jealous?"

"What?"

The Joker pushed his top lip out with his tongue and smiled as he lifted an eyebrow. "Did you finally realize that I'm the only one for you?" He let a chuckle escape.

"I'm engaged."

The Joker's whole body tensed. His grip on the phone tightened, he didn't move a muscle.

A dark look came over his painted face, and was suddenly gone, like it was never there.

He licked his lips and put a hand on the elbow rest, his fingers moving on the surface.

"What's his name?" he asked.

"You think I'm actually going to tell you that?"

"Come on, what's his name?"

"I…it's Edward."

The Joker gave a scoff. "What does he do?"

"He's a crossword puzzle designer."

The Joker did nothing to hide his amusement.

"We're getting off the subject-."

"When's the wedding?" he interrupted.

"That is really of concern of yours."

He shrugged. "Just curious," he muttered.

Samantha caught him glancing at her engagement ring.

"I need you to promise me that you will get another doctor," she said, trying to get his attention again.

The Joker let out a sigh of faked indecision. "I don't know. I only feel comfortable talking to Harleen. She listens to me… and I listen to her…" He lifted his eyebrows and let the words sink in.

Samantha gripped the phone. "You're giving her advice?"

The Joker stretched and looked unconcerned. "What church will you be getting married at?" he asked.

Samantha jumped up from her chair; face red. "Answer me, you freak!" she yelled.

The guard made his way over and touched her shoulders, startling her. She dropped the phone.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"What? No!"

"Ma'am, either you leave on your own or I will have to force you-,"

"You don't understand!" She pointed at the Joker. "You don't know what he's doing!"

At that moment, the Joker looked like the sane one and she was the insane one.

"Come with me, miss."

The guard grabbed her by the arm and began to pull her away. Samantha struggled and another guard was brought over to restrain her.

She saw the Joker smirk as he placed the phone back in its cradle. He blew her a kiss and was escorted back to his cell.

The two guards hauled Samantha out of the room and let go of her as soon as they got her out of the building.

She let out an angry scream that came from her very soul.

What was he planning? How was Harleen involved?

Samantha hated herself. She never should have told Harley that they should keep their distance.

Samantha dialed Harleen's cell phone number and waited for her to answer.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up the phone," she whispered urgently.

There was the sound of a click and the line went dead.

Samantha looked at her phone. Harleen had hung up on her without even answering. She dialed the number again and the same result came. This time she dialed Harley's apartment number and got the answering machine.

"Hi, Harley, It's me, Samantha. Look, I don't know if your cell phone is going wacky or if you're ignoring my calls, but I would really appreciate it if you'd give me a call back. Bye."

She snapped her phone shut and ran a hand through her hair.

"_Now what?"_ she thought.

Her phone rang and she snatched at it, thinking it was Harleen. She checked the I.D. to see it was Edward. She flipped it open and put it to her ear.

"Edward?"

"Hey, where are you?"

"Shopping."

"Shopping? I thought you were supposed to be getting fitted for your wedding dress?"

"_Shoot! That was today?"_

"I completely forgot! I better get over there now."

"You better."

She closed her phone and ran out to find a taxi.

…

Harleen had just finished spilling all her thoughts, doubts, confusions, and problems to the one person she knew would listen. She sighed and looked at her hands as she sat in a chair.

"Yes, I admit it. As unprofessional as it sounds, I have fallen in love with my patient….. Pretty crazy, huh?" she asked.

"Not at all. As a dedicated, career-orientated young woman, you felt the need to abstain from all amusement and fun. It's only natural that you'd be attracted to a man who could make you laugh again."

Harleen looked up and smiled. "I knew you'd understand!" she cried with relief.

The Joker shrugged and gave a grin. "Any time," he replied.

Harleen had given him a pencil and a notepad to jot down anything he wanted. He slid the notepad across the table towards her.

Harleen put out her hand to stop it. She looked at the paper to see he had drawn a heart. She looked up at him and he winked. Harleen blushed bright pink.

As Harleen left the room and the Joker was led back to his cell, she realized that her pencil was missing. She had probably dropped it on the way.

**(Tell me what you think! Please review!)**


	3. Chapter 3

**(Thanks for the reviews. They mean a lot to me! So, the whole time I was typing up this chapter, 'Ghost of Me' by Daughtry and 'Haunted' by Evanescence kept coming to mind and they are very close to how the Joker and Samantha are thinking in this chapter. So, I suggest listening to those two songs while reading this chapter. Listen to 'Haunted' first when Samantha is alone in her apartment after Edward leaves. Oh, and listen to 'Ghost of Me' only when it gets to the Joker. **

**I haven't figured out who I would want to play as Jeremiah Arkham, but I'm favoring Paul Bettany. And Alice Fredricks is definitely Emilie De Raven in my mind!**

**I also have a link to a picture of what Samantha's wedding dress looks like on my profile page.)**

Chapter Three

Samantha gazed at her reflection in the mirror and turned this way and that to get a good look at all the angles of her wedding dress. After a few minutes of inspection, she finally came to the conclusion that it was perfect.

"Is it alright?" the wedding dress fitter asked.

"It's great," Samantha answered which got a smile from the other woman.

The little bell attached to the door rang and Samantha turned to see Edward walking into the store. Samantha let out a gasp and picked up the dress' skirts to quickly run and get out of sight behind a wall. The fitter raised a curious eyebrow at the display.

"It's my fiancé, I don't want him to see me in this yet," Samantha explained.

Edward strolled over to the store owner. "Was that my fiancé I saw run behind there?" he asked.

The woman nodded.

"You could give a little warning about when you're coming," Samantha's voice called out from behind the wall.

"Now where would the fun in that be?" he chuckled.

"You're terrible! Now turn around so I can get back to the changing room. And cover your eyes; I don't want you to peek!"

Edward sighed good naturedly and turned his back to her while covering his eyes.

"Are your eyes closed?"

"They're closed."

He had to hold back a laugh when he heard the sound of Samantha's dress rustling quickly behind him as she dashed to the room to change.

When she came back out, she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck; giving him a kiss on the lips.

"Mmmh," Edward moaned happily. "What was that for? Not that I didn't enjoy it."

"I'm just happy to see you," Samantha said with a grin and ran her fingers through his red hair.

"Well, in that case…" Edward leaned in to give her a kiss when the fitter woman cleared her throat loudly.

The couple looked at her.

"Just wanted you two to know that I'm still here," she said.

"Oh, then go behind a wall or something," Edward said and went ahead and kissed Samantha. The woman humphed and walked away.

"So what are you doing here?" Samantha asked.

"I was close by and I thought we could go out to lunch together."

"Sounds like a plan to me. Where to?"

"I hear Green Willows is good."

"Let's not go there," Samantha said quickly.

"Alright then, how about Italian?"

"What's Italian for yes?"

"Si."

"I thought that was Spanish?"

"It's also Italian."

They walked out of the building, arm in arm, and made their way to the restaurant. The whole time they walked, Samantha noticed that Edward seemed to have something on his mind.

"Edward?"

"Hm?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just… I quit my job today."

Samantha paused in her walking to gawk at him. "You what?"

Edward held up a hand. "Wait a minute, before you start worrying." He ran a hand through his red hair. "I had another job offer; a better one, in fact."

They resumed their walking.

"What's the job?" Samantha finally asked.

Edward grinned mischievously. "What every little boy dreams… designing video games."

"But I thought you loved creating the puzzles in the newspaper?"

"I do, but I have an idea for a game that's bound to be a best seller! 'The Riddle of the Minotaur.' I already sent my ideas to the head of Competitron and he loved it. He wants me to get started right away."

"Riddle of the what?"

"The Minotaur. You see, it's going to be based in a labyrinth and you have to find your way through to the center while battling some mythical creatures and solving riddles. When you get an answer wrong, this 'Hand of Fate' picks you up and takes you somewhere in the maze and you have to start from there. _If _you get to the center, you have to answer the riddle of the Minotaur."

Samantha saw the excitement growing in Edward's golden, brown eyes. It made him look like a little boy. "It sounds interesting," she said.

Edward seemed disappointed with her reply. "Interesting?" he repeated.

Samantha leaned her head on his shoulder. "You know I'm not into video games but if it's something you want to do, I'm not going to stop you."

"I'll probably make a killing," Edward said to himself, still dreaming of the success his game would no doubt bring. Samantha hoped so, for his sake.

They were walking by an alley when a clatter and crash of metal sounded from within.

"What the-!" Samantha exclaimed in surprise.

Edward walked toward the dark alley and crouched in front of an over turned, metal garbage can.

"Samantha, come here," he called softly.

Samantha made her way over to find him holding a little black and orange kitten. He stood up, holding it close as it gave pitiful little meows.

"Aw, poor thing," Samantha said and gave it a scratch under the chin. She caught Edward staring at her.

"Samantha…"

"What?" she asked innocently.

"You want to keep him, don't you?"

"Oh come on, why not? Look at that little face!"

Edward looked down and…oh good lord, it was looking back at him with those big pitiful eyes that a cartoon character would have.

It sank its needle-like claws into Edward's coat and began to climb to his shoulder. Samantha gently pried the kitten off and held it up to be side by side with her own face.

"How can you deny this face?" she asked and put on a dramatically sad face.

Edward laughed as he looked at both of their pitiful faces.

"Which one?" he asked. Edward sighed. "Alright, baby. We'll keep him."

Samantha kissed Edward on the mouth and smiled. "Think of this as your wedding present to me," she chuckled.

Edward began to stroke the kitten and it started to purr.

"How are we supposed to go out to eat if we have a cat with us?" Samantha asked.

Edward grinned. "I'll think of a way," he said mischievously.

….

At the restaurant, Samantha and Edward sat at a booth table. Edward's jacket pocket had a moving bulge inside it that would occasionally make soft meows.

Edward leaned across the table towards Samantha. "Good thing we didn't go to a Chinese restaurant," he whispered.

A little meow, louder than the last time, came from the pocket and they erupted into laughter.

…

After stopping by a pet store to pick up a few supplies, Edward accompanied Samantha back to her apartment.

She dug around in her pockets before giving a frustrated sigh. "Ah crap," she muttered as she felt her pockets once more to be sure.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked.

"I left my keys inside."

"Are you sure?"

"I checked my pockets twice."

Edward grunted as he shifted the weight of the box holding pet supplies from one arm to the other. "Let me take a look."

Samantha stepped aside to let him inspect the door. He knelt down and set the box on the ground. Edward gazed at the lock and reached into his coat. He pulled out a hair pin and examined it before inserting it into the lock.

"If you're pick-locking my door, I could have done that," Samantha chuckled.

"Yes, but do you have anything to pick the lock with?" Edward asked with a playful smirk.

"Just hurry up before somebody mistakes us for burglars and calls the cops."

Edward stood from his position, holding the box under his left arm.

"What are you doing? Go ahead and pick the lock, you have my permission."

"I did," he answered.

Samantha's eyebrows shot up. "Already? No way, that was too fast."

He turned the knob and opened the door with ease. Edward looked back at Samantha with a smug smile.

"Are you a professional or something?" she asked.

Edward chuckled and walked into the apartment.

"I've never seen anyone pick a lock that fast."

Edward's smile broadened at her remark. "Well, it helps when you know what you're doing," he replied as he placed the box on the kitchen counter.

"Watch it, bud," Samantha warned, giving him a light punch on the shoulder.

Edward caught her hand and grinned. "Except you. You just can't pick locks as fast as me because I'm smarter."

Samantha moved to hit him with her free hand after setting the kitten down on the kitchen counter but ended up having that one caught too.

"You have such a big ego."

"Mm-hmm," he murmured as he pressed his lips to her hands and kept them there for a moment with his eyes closed.

A loud meow from the kitten broke him out of the little spell and they both turned in the feline's direction.

Samantha laughed and went over to the box. She stuck her arm inside and began to rummage around, looking for a specific item.

"I go to get my dress fitted and I get a cat," Samantha said.

"Are you complaining?" Edward asked.

"No, it's just that the day you think you'll have, never turns out that way."

Samantha withdrew a green collar and held the cat as she slipped it over his fuzzy head.

"I bet you've had a lot of those days," Edward said.

Samantha gave a sigh and smiled. "More than you know." She put the kitten down and let it explore the apartment.

A strand of her blond hair slid out of place and fell in her face. Edward reached out and gently tucked the strand behind her ear… just like the Joker had done.

Samantha took an involuntary step back and immediately regretted it.

Edward had a confused expression on his face, mixed with a little hurt. Then, slowly, he realized the reason behind her action.

"I'm sorry," Samantha apologized.

Edward pulled Samantha to him and wrapped her in his arms, tilting her head up so he could look her in the eye. "He can't hurt you anymore," he said firmly.

"What if he escapes?"

Edward gave her a soft smile. "Then I'll be right here to protect you."

Samantha rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Her lips curled into a smile. "Then who's gonna protect you?" she asked with a giggle.

Edward laughed and squeezed her tightly before letting go.

"See you later, Samantha." He went to the door to leave.

"Wait," Samantha called.

Edward paused, door slightly open.

"What will we call the cat?" she asked.

He thought a moment. "Little Riddle," he said with a smile, and walked out the door.

Samantha grinned and looked at the kitten as he jumped from the kitchen counter to the floor.

"So, what do you think of your new home, Little Riddle?"

The kitten looked at her quizzically and tilted his head to the side. He let out a little meow.

"You're very talkative, you know that?"

He meowed.

Samantha sighed and started to unload the box full of pet items and setting them in their places. After she was done with that, she decided to fix herself a drink. She pulled out a glass from the cupboard.

"_**Soooo, did you enjoy our little talk this morning?" **_

Samantha dropped the glass as she whirled around and the glass shattered when it struck the floor.

No one was there.

She sighed in frustration and kneeled down to pick up the bigger pieces of the broken cup. She felt a slight pain developing in her head.

"_**Getting married… You're getting married… Don't ya think it would have been good of you to give me the, uh, the heads up-ah about that?"**_

"Shut up."

"_**Oh, you don't want me to do that, do you? **__**Ha ha ha ha ha! **__**You know you love hearing me talk!" **_

"I said shut up!"

"_**I can't believe you let that-ah, uh, that…**__**guy**__** touch you."**_

Samantha jumped when it felt like someone's hand brushing against her arm, but when she looked, she saw nothing. __She quickly finished cleaning up the glass fragments and put a hand to her head. The pain had slightly increased.

Maybe she should just go to bed….

"_**Mind if I join you? Hee hee hee…" **_

She let out a grunt of disgust and tried to ignore the voice in her head as she got ready for bed.

She knew she was losing it when she actually hesitated to change clothes because of the voice in her head.

"_It's only my imagination," _she told herself over and over until finally she had changed clothes.

Samantha slipped under the covers of her bed and shut her eyes.

"_**It must be killing you to know that Harley's listening to me."**_

Samantha let out a groan and pulled her pillow over her head.

…

Later that night, over in Arkham; the night guard walked past the prisoners' cells. Most of them had fallen asleep already.

He was about to walk by the Joker's cell when he noticed something was wrong. The Joker was on his knees, doubled over and clutching his stomach.

The guard walked over and tapped on the glass wall. "Hey, Joker, you alright?" he asked, not really caring.

The Joker's body was shaking as he lifted his head and looked at the guard. "No," he said in an unsteady voice.

The guard frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Pain!"

He watched as the Joker clenched his teeth and moaned.

"Help me!" he pleaded.

The guard was frozen, uncertain about what to do.

"Help," the Joker whispered hoarsely.

If he did nothing and the Joker ended up dying or having to go to the hospital, he'd probably be held responsible. It's not that he would have a guilty conscious; he just didn't want to have to go through dealing with that kind of trouble.

The guard made his decision and went to the cell door. "Back up to the bed," he ordered.

The Joker dragged himself to his bed and sat down, head hanging low.

"Hold on," the guard told him. He unlocked the door and walked in. "Keep your hands where I can see 'em," he warned.

He grabbed the Joker's arm and helped him to his feet. The Joker leaned on him for support.

"Let's get ya to the Medical Station," the guard said.

Something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked over at the table beside them to see a pencil, sharp end up, stuck on the table's surface.

"_Weird,"_ the guard thought.

The Joker's hand latched onto the back of the guard's neck and he stopped leaning on him. He pushed the guard forward and forced his head down on the top of the pencil. The pencil penetrated his brain, killing him instantly. His body sagged to the floor.

The Joker gazed at the guard's limp body, head cocked to the side.

"A, uh, doctor won't be necessary, I'm feeling better already."

He gave a wild laugh and crouched down beside the body.

…

A very short time later, the Joker strolled out of his cell in the guard's uniform with the keys in his hand. He also washed off his make-up, but worried his scars would give him away. He pulled the bill of his hat down low over his eyes and decided to figure that out later.

"_Now where did they hide my suit?"_ he wondered as he walked into the room where the doctors kept the patients' possessions.

The Joker headed for the J section of shelves and searched for a cardboard box labeled with the only name that Gotham City knew him by.

He silently mumbled the names as he went down the row. "Johnson, Johnston…. Ah! Joker!"

He pulled out the box and found his suit, shoes, socks, cards, pocket watch, and most importantly… his little collection of knives.

The Joker grinned as he flipped one of them open.

There wasn't much time left before someone discovered the dead guard.

He pulled his suit out and stuffed it into a duffle bag along with his other things. A tube of flesh-colored makeup caught his eye from inside the box next to his. He nabbed it and quickly put it over his scars.

The Joker sauntered out of the room and headed for the front exit, deciding on a bold escape. As he walked, he passed two other guards. They smiled at him and he smiled back. When he reached the front desk, he looked around.

Just as he expected, the girl on duty, Kelly, was fast asleep. The only witness to his escape was the security camera on the ceiling.

The Joker faced the camera and blew it a kiss. He waved good-bye and simply walked out the door.

….

Harleen was jolted awake by the sound of her phone ringing.

_Where is it?_

She fumbled around for her glasses. Her fingers brushed against them and she snatched the glasses up. She put them on and looked at her alarm clock.

3:45 in the morning!

Harleen groaned. "You better not be a sales person," she grumbled.

She picked up the phone and put it against her ear as she brushed a strand of blond hair away from her face.

"Hello?" she mumbled.

Harleen half-listened to the voice on the other end before bolting straight up in bed.

"The Joker what?" she exclaimed.

…

The next thing Harleen knew was that she was dressed and in Arkham at 4:40 a.m. She and a few other employees and cops were standing outside of the Joker's cell, staring at the motionless guard's body with a pencil protruding from his forehead. Harleen's pencil to be exact.

Dr. Arkham was talking to Commissioner Gordon when he spotted her. When he finished his conversation, he made his way towards her.

Harleen's stomach turned.

"Dr. Quinzel," her boss began in a tired voice, "how did your patient get that pencil?"

No way was she going to tell him that she had lent it the Joker so he could take notes. That would reveal other things about their sessions, such as the advice he had been giving her.

"He must have taken it during one of our sessions when I wasn't looking," she lied.

Harleen looked to see a few officers trying to question the patients whose cells faced the Joker's.

"_Ha! A lot of good that'll do 'em. Questioning __patients__ at an __asylum__,"_ Harleen thought.

A cop with a patient named Caleb, cleared his throat and asked, "Did you see the patient escape?"

"There's bats everywhere!" Caleb screamed.

Harleen sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh boy," she mumbled.

…

Out in the streets, the police were everywhere searching for the Joker.

Two cops pulled over their patrol vehicle and got out when they spotted a young man with a black hoodie and ripped up jeans. He was walking with his hands in his pockets, shoulders slumped, and the hood over his head.

The cops walked over to him.

"Hey, buddy," one of them called.

The man stopped and turned his head to look at them. The cop shined a flashlight in his face to get a look at him and saw that he seemed to be high on drugs.

"Have you seen a man with white make-up on his face?" his partner asked.

"No, dude," the man slurred.

"You haven't seen the Joker?"

"No, man."

The officers sighed. "It's just as well. If you did see him he'd probably slice your face."

The young man put a hand to the side of his mouth. "Whoa, dude, that's not good," he said in a spaced out voice.

The cop nudged his partner. "Come on, Will; we're not gonna get anything from this druggie," he said.

Will stared at the man for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he muttered and followed his partner to their car.

As soon as they pulled away, the man drew back the hood to reveal the faded green hair underneath and wiped the flesh colored make-up off his cheeks; unveiling the gruesome scars. He threw back his head and laughed hysterically.

…

Dr. Arkham and Commissioner Gordon were in Arkham's office, arguing.

"The public has a right to know that a dangerous criminal has escaped," Gordon shouted.

"It will give Arkham Asylum a bad name when they find out! Keep this quiet!"

"Arkham's had a bad name ever since it was established as a nut house, doctor! And it didn't get any better after that major breakout nearly a year ago! I'm sorry, but the people need to know so they can protect themselves."

Gordon walked out of the office, leaving a distraught Dr. Arkham. He bumped into Harleen as she hurried to Arkham's office on her way to find Gordon after hearing he was there.

"Excuse me," he apologized and continued walking.

"Commissioner, I'm worried about my friend, Samantha."

Gordon paused and turned around to face her. "Samantha Reads?"

Harleen nodded.

He swiftly strode back over to her. "Where does she live?"

…..

Samantha woke up to the sound of a loud pounding on her door. She threw the bed covers back and crawled out, tripping on the sheets. She untangled herself and walked over to the door.

"Coming," she called irritably.

Openin the door a crack, Samantha was surprised to find Commissioner Gordon and a group of four cops with him.

Samantha cocked an eyebrow. "Well, this is unexpected," she said. She heard dull thump from behind her and turned to look.

Samantha's mouth dropped open as she saw Batman come in through her window. He stood up and joined the group.

Samantha put a hand on her hip and frowned at him. "You ever heard of a door?" she asked sarcastically.

Batman ignored the jab and looked directly at Gordon when she let him inside. "I heard about it," he explained in his gruff voice.

Gordon nodded. "I guess we had the same idea," he replied.

"You both decided to come storming into my apartment in the wee hours of the morning?" Samantha said. She looked back and forth at the two of them. "What's going on?" she asked.

"We're sorry, Miss Reads, but the Joker has escaped from Arkham and we suspect that he may try to come to you."

Samantha turned pale and her chest tightened. "You're joking? You've gotta be," she pleaded.

No one laughed. Batman grabbed her by the arm. "Does it look like we're joking?" he asked.

Samantha thought about that a moment while staring at his masked face.

_Batman joke? Ha! _

Samantha turned her gaze to Gordon. "When?"

"A few hours ago," he answered.

Samantha drew in a shaky breath and exhaled. This was a nightmare.

Suddenly, her kitten came around the corner and meowed. A nervous, rookie of a cop, pulled out his gun and aimed it at the feline before realizing it wasn't a threat.

Samantha walked over and picked up the kitten. Her engagement ring caught Batman's eye.

"What about you're fiancé?" he asked.

Samantha glanced at her ring and back at him.

"Does the Joker know you're engaged?" Gordon asked.

Samantha nodded.

"Send a few cops to watch him until the Joker's caught," Batman ordered.

Gordon got on his radio and gave the order after Samantha told him Edward's name and address. Batman gazed at Samantha and then spoke to Gordon.

"She needs protection."

"We'll get her out of the city as soon as-,"

Samantha cut Gordon off. "I'm not leaving," she said firmly.

"What?"

"My wedding is less than two months away, I have a job to do, and if you think I'm just gonna leave my fiancé here, you can take a flying leap."

"Congratulations, but do you think there'll be a wedding if the Joker gets ahold of you or your fiancé?" Batman asked.

Samantha narrowed her green eyes at him. "I'm not leaving," she repeated.

"I'll station a few guards here with her until he's found," Gordon said.

On the outside, Samantha seemed annoyed; inside, she was screaming. Samantha held onto the kitten, the only way to keep her hands from visibly shaking. She needed to call Edward as soon as possible.

She went to the phone and left the two men to talk.

When she explained the situation to Edward, he wanted to go to her apartment and stay so he could watch out for her.

"No, stay there. The police will be there soon and you can talk it out with them," she told him.

"The… the police?" Edward repeated. "I… Be safe. I love you," he said.

"I love you too." She hung up the phone and let go of the cat when its little claws dug into her skin as he tried to leap out of her arms.

Gordon made his way over to her and glanced at the kitten as it slinked away.

"I'll have two of my people stay here with you for the time being; Officer Hal Roberts and Detective Ellen Yin. They're on their way here now."

"Thank you. You really think he'd come here?" she asked.

"I don't know, but Batman thinks so. He says you two show up together too often to take any chances," Gordon replied.

Samantha gave a tired smile. "I guess my T.V. will be on GCN News for a while, huh?"

Gordon smiled at her attempt of humor. "Everything will be fine," he said encouragingly.

Samantha looked at the diamond on her ring.

"That's what Edward said," she whispered.

…

To be all honest, the Joker_ had_ thought about running over to Samantha's apartment, but decided not to. He had a hunch that the cops would think this too; he knew Batman would.

So he avoided the place… sort of. He was in the alley, staring at her window.

He licked his lips and grinned.

He had it all figured out, though. He had found a way to keep an eye on her.

He chuckled and turned away. "See ya soon, Esmeralda," he whispered.

**(So there it is! Let me know what you think! I'm going to go watch Psych now so I can drown out the Joker's singing. **

**"I deserve a rest and you know it!" **

**But don't worry; I'll have the next chapter up soon. As long as I receive some reviews.)**


	4. Chapter 4

**(I just wanted to let you know that it was a complete coincidence when I named the detective Yin. Her first name was originally Diane, but when I stumbled over Ellen Yin, I knew that I just had to make the switch from Diane Yin to Ellen Yin! Pretty cool, huh? **

**In this chapter, there are a few Joker Blog moments, so I'm gonna make it clear once again, that I do not take credit for Scott McClure's ideas, I just borrowed them to make my story. Anyway, this chapter is one that I had a lot of fun making and I hope you enjoy it.)**

Chapter Four

Samantha sat in her chair and watched as Officer Roberts raided her fridge. "Help yourself," she mumbled.

Roberts looked at her over his shoulder and muttered a 'thanks'. He continued to pillage her food.

She let out a sigh and looked away.

Just her luck to get a body guard with no interest in guarding her. At least Detective Yin was serious about her job.

The phone rang and they went to the bug machine they had installed next to Samantha's phone. They put on their head phones and switched on the machine. Yin nodded at Samantha and she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby."

"Edward, what's going on?" She looked over at Roberts to see him roll his eyes.

"I've tried talking to the police, but they still insist that I stay here away from you."

"They say it's safer, in case the Joker gets to one of us, the other will be safe. If we're both together, that would make it easier for him."

It had been a week since the Joker had escaped and he hadn't made a move for them yet, but he had been terrorizing Gotham. Somehow he had gotten another clown army, ready to be at his beck and call. The dead body count was rising in numbers too.

An attempt had been made to kill the recently new Commissioner Gordon, but Batman had put a stop to it. Another attempt had been made on Dr. Arkham and again, Batman had put a stop to it.

If Samantha knew the Joker, he was probably beyond furious. And he was still out there; taking out his rage on the citizens of Gotham.

Batman was trying his hardest to stop 'the Clown Prince of Crime', as he was now being dubbed, but it was more difficult than the last time now that the law was after him too.

It used to be that the cops would look the other way when Batman was involved, but since the death of D.A. Harvey Dent and the rumors that Batman was the killer, things weren't the same.

Samantha didn't believe the rumors. She couldn't explain why exactly; it was more of a gut feeling. But she did find it unlikely that Batman, who was trying hard to 'clean up' Gotham, would kill off Harvey Dent who was also very passionate about saving the city. It just didn't make any sense.

"Do you think you and I could still meet somewhere?" Edward asked, drawing Samantha out of her thoughts.

"No, I have strict orders that I have to stay here," Samantha answered.

"I'll find a way," he said.

Samantha could picture him smiling as he said it.

"At least we'll see each other at the wedding," Samantha sighed.

When their conversation had ended, Detective Yin smiled at her as she sat on the couch. "So when's the wedding?" she asked.

"March 9th."

"You got a picture of the groom-to-be?"

Samantha pulled out a photo of her and Edward laughing. She handed it over to Yin and she studied his face.

"Oooh; not bad, not bad. You did good. He's really hot," Yin said grinning.

Samantha laughed. "He's taken."

"Oh, darn," Yin replied in a fake disappointed voice.

Roberts walked into the living room. "You're out of coffee," he said.

Yin narrowed her almond shaped- brown eyes at him. "I wonder why?" she bit back in a sharp tone.

Roberts frowned and grabbed his jacket.

"Where are you going?" Samantha asked.

"To buy more coffee," he answered as he went out the door.

Samantha faced Yin. "What's his problem?" she asked.

"Roberts has been in this mood for almost ten years now. He thinks that because he's worked this job for twenty years the world owes him something. It's his attitude that keeps him from being promoted," Yin explained.

"If this goes on much longer, I'm gonna tell him what he can do with his attitude," Samantha told her.

"I'll be your eager audience," Yin said with a smile.

Samantha giggled.

…..

Roberts pulled up to an old shop near the slums of Gotham City and parked his car. He opened the shop's glass door and the bell gave a little _ting_.

Immediately, a man appeared from the shadows, holding a gun. He recognized Roberts and inclined his head at the back room.

"He's been waiting," the man told him.

Roberts began to walk to the door, kicking up the dust on the grimy floor and tickling his nose. He put his hand on the knob and was stopped by the sound of the man clearing his throat.

"I'd knock first if I were you," he warned.

Roberts paused and stared at the door. He lifted his hand and knocked twice. He listened with his ear pressed to the door.

"Come in," a voice called.

Roberts turned the knob and walked into the storage room. All that was inside was four plain, white walls, a dusty wooden desk, and a black swivel chair with its back to him.

A purple gloved hand stretched out from the side of the chair and placed a cocked gun down on the desk.

"_Good thing I knocked,"_ Roberts thought to himself as he stepped closer.

The chair spun around to face him, revealing the Joker, slumped down in the seat and looking bored.

"Weeell?" he asked and licked his lips.

"His name is Edward Nigma," Roberts informed him.

"Nigma?"

The Joker half chuckled and gripped the chair's arm rests as he lifted himself up.

"With a last name like that, she must _reeeeally _love him," he said.

"They'll be getting married March 9th," Roberts told his boss.

"That soon, hm?" the Joker mumbled.

Roberts pulled out a scrap of paper from his jacket pocket. "I looked up his address in her address book and wrote it down for ya. We could take him out now," Roberts offered.

The Joker shook his head. "No, no; I've got a-ah better idea." He gave a mysterious grin and began to laugh.

Roberts coughed to get his attention. The Joker faced him with a raised eyebrow.

"What about my money?" Roberts asked.

The Joker licked his lips and bit the inside of his right cheek. "What about it?" he asked with a hint of annoyance.

"I got your information, now pay up. $500,000 cash," Roberts demanded.

The Joker stared at him for a moment and lifted his eyes up to the ceiling before looking back down at him.

"Fine," he said carelessly. He stepped towards the desk and went to open a drawer.

Roberts didn't realize the Joker had grabbed the gun off the desk until he had turned and aimed it at his head. He pulled the trigger and Roberts collapsed to the floor with a hole in his head.

The Joker sighed deeply and sat back down in the swivel chair. "Like I have that kind of money," he scoffed.

He placed his feet on top of the desk and leaned back in the chair, blowing imaginary smoke away from the gun barrel.

"I could write you a check."

He burst into a fit of wild laughter.

The sound of a crash, glass breaking, and gunfire from outside the room cut his laughing short.

His head snapped in the door's direction as it suddenly was kicked open; in the doorway stood the Batman glaring at him.

The Joker gave a grin. "Hello, sunshine," he greeted.

Batman took a step towards him and the Joker quickly jumped up from his position and lifted his gun. Batman swatted at the weapon just as the Joker fired a bullet, causing the bullet to penetrate a wall.

The Batman attempted to rush at him, but tripped over Roberts' body. The Joker laughed as he leaped over the Batman and ran out of the room.

The Batman quickly jumped to his feet and hurried after him. He caught up with the Joker and body slammed him to the floor.

The Joker's gun skidded across the floor away from them. He looked around to see the sound of glass breaking had come from the glass window and his two men on guard were tied up and unconscious.

The Joker slipped his arm out of the Batman's grasp and slugged him in the only unprotected part of his head; his chin. Blood began to flow from his lip and his hold on the Clown weakened.

The Joker wiggled out and stood up, taking a few steps back to put some space between them. He whipped out a knife and pointed it at his enemy. Batman lifted himself up and clenched his teeth as he glared at the Joker.

"Tired already?" the Joker taunted.

Batman moved into a fighting position and seemed to wait for the Joker to make the first move. The Joker lashed out with his knife and Batman quickly dodged the blade. He was able to side-step and move behind the Joker. He jabbed his elbow into the Joker's back. The Joker grunted and turned to face him, only to receive a blow to the chest. The air was knocked out of him and he doubled over.

Batman grabbed the Joker by the coat collar and hoisted him up in the air, slamming him against the nearest wall. The Joker stared down at the Batman and smirked.

"Well, this, uh, this seems familiar, doesn't it?" he remarked.

Batman spat some blood out of his mouth onto the floor and looked back up at the psychopath. "You've killed thirty-eight people," he growled.

The Joker raised his eyebrows. "So few? I must be losing my touch." He laughed maniacally as Batman threw him down to the floor.

He landed on his stomach and gripped his knife tightly, about to spring back to his full height. Batman lunged towards him, grabbed the arm holding the knife, and twisted it around. He pinned the Joker's arm to his back.

The clown's hand went limp and the knife clattered to the floor. Batman kicked it away and turned him over. The Joker grinned up at the dark knight. Batman's hand closed around his neck and put some pressure on it.

"You tried to kill Commissioner Gordon and Dr. Arkham-,"

"And they're both still al_iiii_ve, no thanks to you," The Joker's tongue flicked over his lips, "Sooo, what are you going to do now, hm? Question me? Beat me to a bleeding pulp until-,"

Batman applied more pressure on the Joker's throat and he began to choke. But he was still smiling!

"You still sore about what happened to Rachel Daw-?"

Batman let out a yell and threw him against the wall again.

The Joker crashed against it with a bone jarring force and crumbled to the floor. He banged his head against the floor and then was motionless.

Batman was breathing heavily as he stared at the prone body, expecting him to leap up any second; but he didn't.

He cautiously made his way over and looked down. The Joker's eyes were closed and his chest was rising and falling in a regular paced motion. Batman had knocked him unconscious. He clenched his fists, trying to steady his hands.

The Joker had known exactly which button to push.

He knelt to one knee and brought out a pair of handcuffs. They closed around the Joker's wrists with a metallic _click_. He switched on the communication device in his head piece and contacted Gordon.

"Hello?"

"Gordon, there's two men tied up and a dead body in the storage room at the old shop 'Curious Things'. I've got the Joker in custody and taking him to Arkham."

"What if they stop you from leaving?"

"They won't."

Batman cut the connection and began to drag the Joker out of the building.

…..

Harleen was in the middle of reading the newspaper article about the Joker's latest crimes. She was in the rec room for employees at Arkham.

Harleen put a hand to her forehead and sighed.

"_He must be so scared,"_ she thought.

An orderlie ran into the room. "They've got him!" he shouted when he spotted her.

Harleen jerked her head around to stare at the man. She dropped the newspaper and ran out of the room with him.

A large crowd of doctors, guards, and employees had gathered. Harleen pushed and shoved her way to the front and broke out of the group. Batman walked into view, dragging an unconscious Joker by the shirt. He let go of him and he sagged to the floor.

Harleen fell to her knees and caught him in her arms. Her blue eyes began to water and she stifled a sob as she looked at the Joker. He was a bloody, beaten, bruised, mess! His wrists were in handcuffs! Like he was in any condition to fight or run off?

Harleen rested her chin on top of his head and looked up at the vigilante.

"_The coward! How could he do this to him?"_

He didn't understand the Joker like she did.

She glared at Batman and he stared back at her, expressionless.

"_He has no heart,"_ she thought.

Two employees came over and slipped their hands under the Joker's arms. They began to pull him away from Harleen. She clutched his green vest tightly and Dr. Arkham came over and pried her hands open. The workers quickly dragged the Joker away.

Harleen stretched her arms out to him. "No!" she screamed.

Dr. Arkham put a hand on her shoulder. "Dr. Quinzel, please," he said gently, hoping to avoid a further scene.

"No, no ,no, no, no, no ! It's not right; it's not fair to him!" she shouted as she rose to her feet. "How can you just take him into custody when the one who really needs to be here is standing right there?" she asked as she pointed at Batman.

But he wasn't there; he had vanished.

An employee who carried the Joker came running back. "Hey, he's been beaten up pretty bad. He needs a hospital."

Harleen gasped at the news.

Dr. Arkham nodded his head. "I'll call the police and tell them we need armed escorts and I'll alert the hospital."

Everyone began to return to their posts.

Harleen looked over and saw her boss talking to Dr. Strange. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but by the way they kept glancing at her, she could guess what they were talking about.

She quickly walked away and went to find where they had taken the patient. Harleen caught up with them, wheeling the Joker out on a gurney.

…

When Samantha got the call that the Joker had been caught, she nearly shouted out with joy. She was told that Officer Roberts was found dead, probably because the Joker was trying to elicit information from him about her and killed him when he refused to answer.

"He may have been a jerk, but at least he died protecting you," Yin said before she left.

Now that she could leave the apartment, it was time for her to go back to work at the hospital. She changed into her uniform and got a call from Edward, trying to set up a dinner date.

"Let's meet at Café de Bleu to celebrate his capture," he suggested.

"Right after work. See you then."

Samantha hurried out of the apartment and drove to the hospital. When she got there, her boss immediately ran back to her, a big grin on his face.

"Glad you're back, you're just in time too."

"Just in time for what?"

"Your team has a patient coming in right now-,"

"What room?"

"4479, but-,"

Samantha began to jog to the room, leaving before he could finish his sentence.

She hurried down the halls and found the room; there were two guards standing at the door way. Samantha slowed her pace and shot a questioning glance at them.

"_Must be some important person," _she thought.

She stepped into the room and her heart nearly stopped when she saw who the patient was. Samantha squeezed her eyes shut and hoped the image would be gone. She opened them again.

Nope, still there.

Samantha stepped over to the hospital bed. The Joker lay unconscious on the hospital bed.

All around her, the doctor and nurses were moving quickly, but to Samantha, everything was in slow motion. He was in and out of consciousness and she was in Hell.

Why did they keep getting thrown together?

As she assisted the doctor in fixing the Joker's wounds, his brown eyes landed on her face and he attempted to grin before he slipped back into being unconscious.

After the Joker had been treated, she pulled the doctor aside to speak with him.

"How long will he have to stay here?" she asked.

"At least a month, then he should be healed enough to return to Arkham," the doctor answered.

Samantha nodded and bit her lip as the doctor left.

"_A month?" _she thought.

A month of him being under the same roof with her?

She stood in the doorway, examining the Joker's battered body from a distance.

He had taken a beating… she wished she had been the one who gave it to him. The doctor and guards had put restraints on his arms and attached it to the bed rails before leaving. At least they did one smart thing.

Samantha quietly left and walked to her station, to put herself as far away as possible from him.

Just as Samantha was leaving, Harleen appeared around the corner and went into his room. She put a hand over her mouth. Harleen slowly went to his bedside and stared mournfully at his paint streaked face. Her eyes drifted to his hands and took in the restraints.

She frowned.

Here he was injured and unconscious, and they restrain him! Unbelievable!

Harleen put her hand on his and began to stroke it with her thumb. "I'm so sorry. They just don't understand," she murmured as she brushed his green hair away from his face.

…

When dinner time rolled around, Samantha somehow got the job of serving the Joker his food. What was even worse was that he was now conscious.

When she walked in she found that his eyes were closed.

Maybe she could sneak over, leave the tray, and get out of there.

She slowly walked over to the bed and cringed when his eyes opened. He looked at her and took in his surroundings without moving his head. His eyes finally settled on her and he gave a grin as he sighed and said, "If this is a dream, I-uh, I don't want to wake up."

Samantha set up the small tray holder on his bed and placed the tray on it. "If it is, I wish someone would shake you awake," Samantha said.

The Joker let out a tired laugh and winced, sucking air through his teeth.

"You have a few bruised ribs," Samantha explained.

"No need to tell me that," he joked.

He looked at the food and then at his restrained hands. His eyes went to her. "_Soooo_, how do you propose I eat?" he asked.

Samantha folded her arms. "If it were up to me, you'd eat like a dog; but it's not," she said.

The Joker stared at her expectantly. She stared right back, unmoving.

"You might as well get on with it… Or would you rather spoon feed me instead? I think it would be cute," he said, smiling and wet his lips.

Samantha unfolded her arms and undid the straps on his wrists. When his hands were free, he rubbed them.

"They sure are tight," he commented.

"They should be."

The Joker looked down at the tray and raised an eyebrow when he noticed he had no fork or any other eating utensil. He looked back at Samantha.

"No fork?" he asked.

"Do you really think that after that pencil stunt with the guard, they'd let you have a fork?" Samantha scoffed.

The Joker's fingers traced invisible lines on the tray. "Possibly," he said with a slight grin.

Samantha was quiet as she debated on whether or not she should give him the spork in her pocket. The doctor and police said it was safe, but she seriously doubtful. She sighed and tossed him the spork.

He caught it with one hand and grinned. "Care to join me?" he asked slyly.

Samantha sat in the chair next to his bed. "Only for a few minutes. My replacement should be here soon," Samantha told him, glancing impatiently at her watch.

"Somewhere you need to be?" he asked as he bit into a bread roll.

"A dinner date."

The Joker slowed in his chewing and looked at her. "With Edward?" he asked in a strange voice.

Samantha caught the strange tone and hesitated before she answered. "Yes," she replied softly.

The Joker went back to eating his food. Suddenly in the middle of eating, he let his spork clang onto the tray and leaned forward towards her; drilling her with the most_ intense_ stare he had ever given her.

"Do you love him?" he asked.

Samantha took a while to form her words because he had startled her.

"… Of course."

The Joker rested his elbow on the tray holder and pointed at her, a smile playing on his face. "Alooot of hesitation there," he pointed out.

"You surprised me," Samantha said in an even voice.

"Keep telling yourself that," he chuckled.

Samantha clamped her jaw shut and folded her arms while she crossed her legs. She turned her head to the side, irritably, and did not meet her eyes.

He continued to eat. "Do you have any doubts?" he asked.

Samantha shot him a look of disbelief.

"You really think I'm going to talk to you about that?"

"So you _do_ have doubts?"

"What? No!" She stood to her feet and glared at him. "Stop putting words in my mouth!"

The Joker lay back against his pillow. "I'm not doing anything," he replied calmly.

Samantha pointed at him. "I know you, and you are doing every-!"

He busted out laughing, cutting her off. "Do, do, do you really know me?" he laughed.

A knock at the door stopped everything. A young male nurse stood there. "I'm here for the night shift," he explained.

"Good; don't let him get to you," Samantha whispered to him as she walked by.

"Thanks," he replied and stayed at the door.

The Joker cocked an eyebrow at him. "I thought nurses were all women?" he taunted.

"Some are men," the nurse replied.

The Joker gave a scoff. "If you say so."

The nurse's face turned red. "Are you done?" he asked.

The Joker licked his lips and leaned back. The nurse redid his restraints and took the tray. He looked closely at the surface.

"They told me you were given a spork. Where is it?" he demanded.

The Joker shrugged. "Search me?" he replied.

The nurse glared. "That can be arranged," he threatened.

The Joker sighed. "Under my shirt," he muttered.

The nurse took a step towards the bed and reached towards his shirt.

"Hey!" the Joker barked.

The hand froze.

"If there's gonna be a hand under my shirt, it's gonna be mine!" he said quickly.

The nurse unstrapped one of his hands and the Joker pulled out the spork with the attitude of a child who didn't get his way.

"You're smarter than you look," the clown said as he handed it over. He smirked as he added, "And that's saying something."

The nurse clenched his teeth and restrained the Joker's arm tighter than was necessary. "Freak," he hissed.

The Joker gave a laugh as the nurse left his room.

**(Well, there it is! I have to confess, when I had written the hospital's room number it was originally 447, but my brother said I should add the 9 to have a little 'ha ha' moment. I hope to receive a lot of reviews from my readers and tell me what you think of my story so far. Till next time! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**(Hello again! I'm back with another chapter and… Ha Ha! Okay, no lie! As soon as I typed that, the song Celebration by Kool and the Gang started playing on my computer's playlist! Ain't life funny that way? Speaking of songs, *does an Uncle Sam impression* I want ****You**** to help me with some songs for dear Edward Nigma! I just don't have a lot that I could listen to that has him come to mind. So if you could just tell me of some songs that remind you of the Riddler/ Edward Nigma and his relationship with Samantha so far, I'd be eternally grateful! Anyway, listen to Lose Control by Evanescence when it gets to Harleen's visit to Dr. Arkham's office.)**

Chapter Five

Samantha was shaken from her thoughts when she heard Edward ask her a question. She focused on his face.

"Huh? What?"

Edward smiled. "You've been staring at your food ever since the waiter brought it out," he told her.

"I have?"

"Mh-hm."

"Sorry."

Edward chuckled and leaned back in his chair.

"It can consume your life,  
Fill it with strife,  
It's a growing burden,  
That could use unloadin'-,"

Samantha cocked an eyebrow. "Unloadin'?" she repeated.

"I'm making it up as I go, now let me finish," he said with a playful smile.

"Please continue," she teased.

"And one thing's for certain,  
You have the face of a troubled woman…  
What am I?"

"A very badly rhymed riddle?" Samantha giggled.

Edward laughed. "Worry," he said. He stretched his arm and placed his hand over hers. "What's going on?" he asked.

"The Joker."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Worrying about him again?" he asked tiredly.

"No, uh… I'm his nurse."

"What?"

"Batman beat the crap out of him and now he's at the hospital I work at and I'm his nurse!"

Edward sat back in his seat, eyes wide. "Wow…," was all he could say.

"What, no riddles?" Samantha asked.

"I'm a little blank at the moment," he admitted. He was silent before he gave a sigh and met her gaze. "Can't you get reassigned?"

"I already asked."

"And?"

"The hospital is short on staff and are still busy with straightening out the trouble the Joker caused by blowing up Gotham General that they can't reassign me. I'm going to have to endure."

"Endure?" Edward scoffed. "Did you not tell them about the two of you?"

Samantha nodded and took a sip of her drink. "And you know what the person in charge said?" Her voice shook with anger as she repeated the words. "'Sorry Miss Reads, but we've got more than enough on our hands to deal with and we don't need your personal problems involved either."

Edward's eyebrows shot up.

"I could go to the hospital's director and-,"

"You could get me fired if you do that."

Edward gave a frustrated sigh and tried to keep his temper under control. He placed both elbows on the table, clasped his hands together in a fist and hid his mouth behind them.

How could they do this to her?

He could see Samantha's emotions raging within her eyes and felt his chest tighten. Oh how he hated the Joker for causing her this much grief!

"There's got to be something we can do?" he offered.

"I don't know," Samantha put her head in her hands, "but until we figure something out, I'm going to have to serve him his food and restrain myself from slapping that annoying grin off his face."

Edward stared at Samantha with a smile on his face and moved his chin to rest on top of his fist.

Samantha slightly grinned at the expression on his face. "What?" she asked.

He shook his head, still smiling. "Nothing; it's just… you are something else. Quite a little puzzle."

He reached across the table and grasped her left hand, interlacing their fingers. He stared at them for a moment as he said, "I can't believe I was lucky enough to catch you before some other guy did."

Samantha squeezed his hand. "You are too cheesy."

Edward leaned closer. "Is it working?"

She held up her thumb and index finger, showing a tiny space between her fingers. "A little bit."

Edward brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "Good," he whispered.

….

~Two weeks later~

Samantha brought the Joker his lunch tray as usual and paused when she saw him playing with a deck of cards.

"_Who gave him that?"_ she wondered.

He heard her come in and looked up from his game. A twisted smile played on his mouth. "Hello beautiful," he greeted.

Samantha sighed and went through the routine of setting up his tray; afterwards she sat in the chair next to his bed.

He cleared the cards off his table and drew the container closer to him. The Joker lifted the clear plastic lid that covered his food.

"Jell-O again?" he fake whined.

"You don't like jell-O?" Samantha asked.

The Joker stabbed a green cube of jell-O with his spork. "I just don't like that it doesn't like to stay still and jumps off your fork when you're about to eat it," he answered and let his tongue dart over his lips.

Samantha gave an impatient sigh.

"Somewhere you'd rather be?" he asked.

"A thousand miles from you."

The Joker licked his lips again and chuckled. "Aaaaw, you'd miss me too much."

Samantha gave a light scoff and continued to look at a square tile on the floor.

It hadn't escaped the Joker's notice that she tried to avoid any kind of eye contact as she sat with him while he ate.

"Are you, uh, _nervousss_ about something, Samantha? Is it me?" he asked slyly.

Her head lifted and she looked at him. "No," she said firmly.

He liked that. He liked how stubborn she could be.

He finished his food and pushed the tray aside to make room for his deck of cards. Samantha's curiosity was piqued as she picked up his leftovers.

"Who gave you those cards?" she asked him.

His left eyebrow lifted in an impish way.

"My good friend, Dr. Quinzel; she didn't want me to be bored. Sweet kid."

"Harleen's visited you?"

"More than once," he replied and started doing some fancy card shuffling tricks.

"_So she's still seeing him…."_

He looked up from his cards and grinned at her perplexed expression. "You're not jealous are you?" he asked.

Samantha scoffed, turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

As Samantha carried the tray out of the room and placed it on the cart outside the door, she was surprised to see Edward standing there, waiting with his hands behind his back.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with a bright smile.

He brought one hand out in the open to reveal a deep red rose. "I was hoping to find someone to accompany me to lunch," he said and bowed slightly as he held out the rose to Samantha.

She couldn't help but notice the envious glances of a few other female nurses.

…

The Joker watched Samantha take the flower. From his window he could see her plainly but Edward had turned his back to him before he could have seen his face.

The Joker's dark eyes never left Samantha as he watched her give Edward a loving kiss on the lips and smile at him.

Something within the Joker's chest began to burn and his fists tightened. He bit the inside of his cheek and sighed through his nose.

"_Just a few more days,"_ he thought as he watched them walk away.

The Joker let out a few short chuckles as he glanced up at the ceiling. "Just a few more days," he repeated aloud.

….

The Joker was brought back to Arkham Asylum on the first of March; Dr. Harleen Quinzel was summoned to Dr. Arkham's office on March eighth.

He motioned for her to sit down in the red chair as he lowered himself behind his desk.

"Miss Quinzel, Dr. Strange has brought it to my attention that you developed an unprofessional relationship with your patient."

"I would occasionally share some personal information with him."

Dr. Arkham fiddled with a pen as he stared at her. "Your conduct the day the Batman brought the Joker back suggests that you developed deep feelings for the patient," he said.

Harleen shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "In our sessions I discovered some things in his past that-."

"Miss Quinzel, I'm not going to beat around the bush. I'm going to have to fire you from Arkham."

Harleen's mouth fell open.

"You became attached to your patient and you knew very well that it was against the rules. Then there's a certain matter about your friendship with Miss Samantha Reads and how he might use you to get information about her-."

"He wouldn't do that!"

"I'll have to ask you to clean out your office and leave today."

He waited for her to respond, but she only stood up and left the room without a word. She passed the Joker's cell on her way to her office and paused, staring at his sleeping form.

Who would be his psychiatrist now?

Dr. Strange would probably be the first one to jump at the chance. She couldn't stand the thought of that man hypnotizing her Joker.

She put a hand on the glass wall separating the two of them and clenched her fist.

She wasn't going to let any of that happen.

She began to run down the hall. Harleen knew exactly what she was going to do.

…..

It was nearly ten o'clock when Harleen drove up to a shop that sold magic tricks, costumes and gag novelties. She couldn't believe she found one open so late at night.

She stepped into the shop and immediately began to grab all the gag props she could lay her hands on. Mechanical teeth, a rubber chicken, smoke bombs of various colors, putty, an oversized gun, and many other things.

Harleen snatched up a black domino mask off of a mannequin's head. It toppled off its shelf and shattered on the floor. She saw a rack of costumes and ran over. She scanned through them and pulled out a very modernized looking harlequin costume.

It had tight fitting black and red leather pants with three red and black diamonds on the front and back. It also had a red and black tank top and sported a red and black leather jacket with a white collar and cuffs. It too had the diamond design on both the arms.

She jerked it off the hanger and gazed at it with an affectionate smile.

"_Har-ley Quin-zel. Rework it a bit, and ya get Harley Quinn!"_

"_Like the clown character harlequin. I know I've heard it before."_

"_It's a name that put's a smile on my face….." _

Harleen's smile widened. "Then let's put a smile on your face Mr. J," she murmured.

She made her way to the front of the store. The shop owner smiled at her, but she didn't smile back. In fact, she walked past him.

He clenched his teeth and stepped out from behind the register. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, lady, you have to pay for-."

Harleen whirled around and drove her fist into his face, driving him to the floor. She loomed over him with a fiery look in her blue eyes.

"Don't. Mess. With. Me!"

She stormed out of the shop, her arms loaded with odds and ends. She threw everything in the back seat of her car and got in the driver's seat.

"I'm comin', Mistah J."

…

Harleen parked the car, hidden and nearby to Arkham. She spent the next hour situating her props and stepping into her new costume.

She gazed at herself in the rearview mirror. Harleen had put her hair up in pigtails to fit into her harlequin hat. It would take some getting used to.

Harleen slipped on the black mask and frowned. The outfit did not seem complete.

She put a hand to her face.

Make-up. She needed make-up, but not a little bit; _a lot_.

In the end, her face was chalk white and the top of her lips was black and the bottom was deep red. She put her mask back on and saw how the black made her blue eyes stand out.

She reached over and grabbed a duffle bag from the backseat and got out of the car.

"And here we go," she whispered.

The security guard at the gate was too occupied reading the newspaper to notice Harleen sneak past hm and run up to the double doors. Kelly was, as usual, fast asleep at the front desk. Harleen tip-toed past her.

She headed for the hall and was almost spotted by the night guard. She jumped back behind the wall and wasn't noticed. When his back was turned, she snuck up from behind and clubbed him over the head with her rubber chicken.

The guard's eyes rolled into the back of his head and collapsed. Harleen threw the chicken to the floor, the brick inside of it making a loud 'clunk'.

She hurried on and spotted a group of employees gathered in the hall she needed to take to get to the Joker. She pulled out her gun and shoved a can of tear gas into the large barrel. Her finger pulled the trigger and the can launched into the air, landing in the hall. The can exploded and the employees scrambled out of the hall, coughing and hacking. The gas quickly dispersed and Harleen ran inside.

…

The Joker was staring up at the ceiling when a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He lifted his head from the pillow to see a shadowy, female form attach a funny looking device to his glass wall with some putty. The woman backed away and stuck her gloved fingers in her ears.

"_What is she d-?"_

The glass wall exploded, sending shards flying everywhere.

The Joker was propelled off the bed and hit the wall behind him hard with his back. He collapsed onto the floor and felt the slight sting from a piece of glass cut into his hand. He let out a low groan and looked up to see the woman standing in front of him.

She had one red gloved hand on her hip and an oversized hand gun in the other black gloved hand. She was wearing a harlequin-like outfit that showed off every curve in her body.

She gazed down at him and grinned from ear to ear.

"Knock, knock, Puddin'. Say 'hello' to your new and improved Harley Quinn!"

"Harleen?"

She winked flirtatiously.

The Joker stood to his feet and looked her over with a curious expression on his face.

"What-?" he began but Harley cut him off.

"I got fired this mornin' because of our feelin's for each other. So, if I'm leaving, you're coming with me," she explained as she put her arms around the Joker's neck and brushed his green hair away from his eyes.

"Ready to go, Puddin'?"

Her voice had changed. No longer did it sound professional; it sounded like… Brooklyn?

The Joker grinned and began to laugh.

"Let's get out of here," he said.

Harley let out a giggle as they navigated their way around the broken glass and down the hall.

Other patients pressed their faces against their glass walls to watch the two of them walk away.

One patient banged his fist against the wall. "Hey, buddy! What about us?" he yelled.

The Joker looked over his shoulder at him. "Just stand there and look pretty."

The patient glared at him.

The Joker let out a laugh and faced Harley. "Let's get my stuff."

"Right-o-roonie," Harley replied cheerfully and they ran out of the room.

"Dumb clowns!" the patient yelled out after them. "I hope the Bat gets you!" he shouted.

"Bats!" Caleb screamed from inside the cell next to his.

The patient rolled his eyes as he listened to Caleb's tirade.

…

As the Joker changed into his suit, Harley stood outside the room as a look out. He shut the door behind him as he stepped out and stood beside Harley. She openly looked him up and down.

"Lookin' good, Mistah J."

The Joker paused in the middle of adjusting his coat's collar and raised an eyebrow.

"_Let it go,"_ he thought to himself and pulled out his switchblade.

"It's good to have these back again," he murmured. He looked at Harley out of the corner of his eye. "Time to go," he told her with a devilish grin.

An employee ran out into the open and saw them.

"Hey!" he barked.

A gun had suddenly materialized in the Joker's hand and unloaded two bullets into the man's chest.

Harley jumped and stared wide-eyed at the dead body.

"Never seen a dead body?" the Joker asked.

"N, no."

The Joker ran his tongue over his lips. "Stick around with me and you'll see plenty."

He motioned with his hand for her to follow him. She stuck close by and gave a last glance at the dead man whose blood was beginning to seep through his white shirt. She'd have to get used to dead bodies, but as long as she was with Mr. J she'd be okay.

When they had cleared out of Arkham Asylum, Harley led him to her car and got inside behind the wheel. She slammed her foot on the gas pedal and the tires squealed shrilly as they sped away from the asylum's grounds.

The Joker laughed wildly as he rolled down the window and rested his elbow on the ledge. The wind blew against his face and ruffled his hair. The Joker gave a satisfied grin.

"So, where are we going?" Harley asked.

"We are going to Tommy's apartment," he answered as his fingers moved around on the surface of the ledge.

"Who's Tommy?"

"Just a nurse I convinced to work for me."

He said nothing else about Tommy and spoke only to give her directions. He had her park the car in a public parking lot and head on foot towards the back streets of the city.

Harley slipped her arm around his and stayed there as he guided them through the alleys. After a long walk, they stopped behind a group of brick apartment buildings.

"Why did we park my car waaaaay out there and walk the rest of the way?" Harley asked.

The Joker was barley paying attention to her. He was eyeing a fire escape ladder. He climbed onto a dumpster and faced the building.

"Beeecaausse, they'll find out _you _busted me out of cheery old Arkham and will be on the lookout for you. They'll try searching for your car and find we're nowhere even close to it."

He pushed his tongue against the inside of his cheek in concentration and leapt off the dumpster. His purple coat flowed behind him like a cape. The Joker grasped the handle bars of the ladder. It slowly began to lower to the ground with him still hanging on.

The moment he felt his feet touch the concrete, he let go with one hand still griping the side bars; he faced Harley.

"Ta-da!" he sang.

He stepped to the side to let Harley climb up the ladder. The Joker followed and let the fire escape slide back into place when they made it to the metal platform at the top.

The Joker looked up at a certain window on the ninth floor. The light wasn't on.

He sighed, licked his lips and started climbing the metal stairs.

"Come on," he said without looking back at Harley.

They climbed all the way to the window and stopped at the back door close to it.

The Joker moved over to a window he assumed was the bedroom. He gently rapped his knuckles against the glass and waited, his eyes taking in his surroundings. After a few seconds of silence, he tried again.

Nothing.

He tried again, but a little louder. Still no response.

The Joker slammed his fist against the glass, the force threatened to shatter the window.

The bedroom's window lit up from inside and the blinds parted to reveal a confused and woken from a deep sleep face of a man. His black hair was tussled in a bed-head style.

His eyes widened when he saw the Joker.

The Joker pointed to the back door and the man nodded. He vanished from sight and soon opened the door.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

The Joker pushed past him. "Sorry, Tommy, but we needed a place to stay for a few days… or weeks."

"Huh?"

Tommy raised his eyebrows at Harley and shut the door behind them.

"I… uh… heh… I don't understand," Tommy said, even though he had a feeling what the answer would be.

The Joker whirled around to face him. "I escaped from Arkham! Duh!" he shouted.

"With _my_ help," Harley added.

Tommy noticed the Joker roll his eyes.

"Who is this?" Tommy asked.

"I'm Harley Quinn; the Joker's girlfriend."

This time Tommy saw the Joker's eyebrows shoot straight up.

"But, I thought you were single?" Tommy asked with a bit of… disappointment?

Harley lifted an eyebrow underneath her mask. She pulled the Joker aside.

"Mistah J, is this guy off his nut?" she asked, jerking her head in Tommy's direction.

The Joker leaned close to her. "Why do you think I hired him?"

"You tell me."

"He does pretty much everything I say. I looked up his file, he's, uh, _slightly-ah cra-zy_."

Harley looked at the Joker with a worried expression.

"Is he gay, though?" she asked. There was no way she would let Tommy swoon over _**her**_ Joker.

"No, no, no, no, no, he's just-ah… _pe-cuuuliar _due to his… mental health."

Harley heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm still keeping an eye on him though."

The Joker shrugged and began to walk around the apartment.

Tommy took in Harley's outfit then the Joker's with his head cocked to the side.

"I thought the side kick was supposed to match the boss' outfit?"

The Joker muttered under his breath, "I wouldn't have let her anyway."

Harley twirled around to show off her costume. "Last minute planning," she explained.

Tommy stepped towards the Joker. "So you're planning on staying here?"

"For now."

"But I have no room."

The Joker looked around and spread out his arms. "I see what you mean." He walked to the middle of the almost empty room. "There's absolutely no way we'd be able to stay in such a crowded room," he said sarcastically and licked his lips.

Tommy sighed. "I only have one bed and I'm _not_ sharing."

"I'll sleep on the couch."

"Where will Harley sleep?"

"The floor."

"Hey!" Harley snapped.

The Joker turned and boyishly grinned at her. "Just joking, sweetheart."

Harley softened up and giggled.

Tommy grabbed two pillows and blankets and gave it to the two clowns. "Here," he grumbled. Tommy began to stomp off to his bedroom.

"Be sure to get lots of sleep. We have a big day tomorrow," the Joker called out.

Tommy paused in mid-step. He turned to face the Joker. "Huh?" he asked.

The Joker pointed at Tommy. "_You_ are going to wake up bright and early tomorrow and come with me." He pulled out a clown mask from one of his coat pockets and tossed it to Tommy.

"This is stupid," Tommy muttered.

The Joker grinned. "That's the clown's name," he laughed.

Tommy sighed and began to walk to his room. "I just got home," he whined.

Harley looked at her wrist watch. "It's two in the morning! Who comes home at two in the morning?"

The Joker and Tommy answered in unison. "Night shift."

Harley situated her blanket and pillow on the couch as the Joker began to ease himself down when Harley cleared her throat. He glanced up.

"You are going to take a shower and brush your teeth, right?" she asked.

The Joker quirked an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked.

Harley put both hands on her hips. "You are not going to let your hair get greasy and your teeth yellowish again. I won't allow it!"

The Joker grunted and began to settle down.

"Take a shower!" Harley insisted.

The Joker glared dangerously at her. Harley folded her arms and stared at him.

Before Tommy went to sleep, he heard the faint sound of the shower water running.

….

At five in the morning, the Joker was standing next to Tommy's bed. Tommy was still sleeping peacefully.

"Tommy," the Joker whispered.

Tommy slept on.

"Tommy… T_oooo_mmy…," his voice raised in volume slightly.

Tommy still didn't respond.

The Joker lifted the mattress at an angle, causing Tommy to fall out of bed and land on the floor with a loud 'thump'.

"**Tommy!**" he barked.

Tommy's head shot up and looked this way and that in surprise and confusion.

"Rise and shine," the Joker snickered.

Tommy squinted his eyes at the Joker and yawned.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Is that your favorite word? Come on, get up!"

Tommy slowly picked himself off the floor.

"Get your mask; we're gonna be late."

Tommy grabbed the mask and followed him to the back door. He saw that Harley was still snoozing away.

"Sir, shouldn't we wake up Harley?" he asked.

His boss shook his head and chuckled. "Oh no. She'd kill me if she knew what I'm going to do."

They went out the door and clambered down the fire escape.

"Hurry up, they're waiting."

"Who?" Tommy asked.

When they got to the street, he saw a work van parked near the curb. The Joker opened the sliding door.

"I used your phone to make a few calls to some desperate people. Hope ya don't mind?"

Tommy jumped into the van after the Joker had climbed in.

"Put on your mask, Stupid," he ordered Tommy.

Tommy slipped on the clown mask and peered at the other people through its eyeholes. There were three others in clown masks.

"Let's go," the Joker said, grinning. He licked his lips and laid back in his seat. "Got the camera?" he asked a clown with yellow hair.

"Right here, boss." Yellow held up a small digital camera.

"Good." The Joker gave small chuckle and laid back his head. He gave a heavy sigh as he said, "Wake me when we get there."

"Get where?" Tommy asked.

The Joker opened one eye to look at him. "To church." He gave a dark smile and closed his eyes.

"Church? You feel guilty about something?"

"Shut up," the Joker snapped.

Tommy remained silent as the van jerked and bounced along the road.

"_Am I the only one who has no idea about what's going on?"_ he wondered.

No one else looked confused; but then again, everyone else was wearing clown masks.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

**(Hey everyone. Sorry, this took so long to update. I took a little break and then got caught up in a lot of school work and etc. Plus I wanted to update on the day I said the wedding would take place, but plans change. So please forgive me? *does a puppy face* Any who, as I said before, I have a link on my profile to a picture of what I imagine as Samantha's wedding dress. I hope this chapter is up to your expectations and doesn't disappoint you.)**

The second Samantha opened her eyes that morning, the realization of what day it was hit her. She gave a slight laugh as she fixed herself a cup of coffee.

"I'm getting married today…," she said out loud.

When Edward woke up, he fixed himself breakfast and sat at the table to work on the newspaper's crossword puzzle the new person had come up with. He was in the middle of finishing a glass of orange juice when he finally remembered. He sputtered and coughed on the liquid.

"I'm getting married today!"

…..

The guests began to sit in the church pews as the time drew near for the wedding to start. One of those guests was Bruce Wayne.

Alice Fredricks, Samantha's Maid of Honor, peeked out of the small opening of the double doors at Bruce. She turned to face Samantha who was anxiously fiddling with her bouquet.

"So why did you invite Bruce Wayne?" Alice asked.

"Because, after what he did for me like inviting me to Dent's party, giving me rides to work, and whisking me off to safety on his motorcycle after the assassination attempt of the mayor, I just had to invite him."

"Good choice. I'll try to catch the bouquet and you tell Edward to strategically throw the garter to Bruce," Alice said and wiggled her eyebrows.

"You goof," Samantha laughed.

She looked down at her bouquet of white roses and sighed. "I wish Harley could be here."

Alice moved away from the door and put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "Some of the choices we make hurt others, and hers hurt you. She had the choice of apologizing…but she didn't. It's her decision to not be here."

Samantha slowly nodded her head, sadly.

Alice glanced down at her watch. "It's time," she said.

The Wedding March began to play and the double doors opened. The guests stood to their feet and faced the doors. Samantha's heartbeat picked up its pace and she took a deep breath before stepping out into the aisle.

Edward was at the altar with the preacher. He golden brown eyes lit up when he saw Samantha make her way towards him. He grinned broadly. She made her way to his side and they faced each other.

"You look beautiful," he whispered.

"So do you," she whispered back.

He couldn't help but chuckle.

Everyone sat back down in their pews and the preacher began the ceremony. "We have gathered here today to witness the joining of these two souls and become one as husband and wife," he went on talking and soon came to the part where the bride and groom exchanged their vows.

"Do you, Edward…Ni…Ni-?"

Edward leaned forward. "Nigma," he whispered.

The preacher smiled at him gratefully.

"Do you, Edward Nigma, take-?"

He was suddenly cut off by two gun shots fired into the ceiling. Screams were let out as Samantha and Edward turned to face the doors. Samantha's heart almost stopped.

"No…," she whispered.

The Joker stood in the middle of the aisle, brandishing a shot gun and accompanied by four thugs in clown masks. They too carried guns and had them trained on the crowd. One clown was holding a camera, recording everything.

"Is it on, Tommy?" the Joker asked him.

The clown nodded and gave a thumbs up.

Alice Fredricks leaned in towards Samantha. "I thought the police said he was back in Arkham?" she asked, trembling.

Samantha's gaze never left the Joker. "That's what I thought too," she whispered back.

A mischievous grin was plastered on the Joker's face as he walked closer to the couple.

"Why wasn't I invited?" He ran his tongue along his lips.

Edward stepped in front of Samantha as the Joker closed the gap between them. He paused and took a few seconds to study Edward.

"_So this is Edward?"_ he thought to himself.

He let out a small chuckle and saw Edward stiffen at the sound.

"Relax, Edward…," the Joker switched his gaze to Samantha, "I only wanted to kiss the bride."

Edward clenched his teeth at the remark. The Joker aimed the shot gun at him.

"Step aside."

"What?"

"We're making a few changes. Change number one: the groom."

The Joker shoved Edward out of the way and stepped towards Samantha as one of his goons grabbed Edward and shoved him into the front pew along with Alice.

In the back, Tommy gave a grin, nodding his head.

"I get it now," he whispered.

Samantha's mouth hung open for a moment, but snapped shut with clenched teeth.

"I won't continue," the preacher told him.

The Joker sneered at the preacher. "Oh yes you will, because if you don't, I shoot."

"Then who would continue the ceremony?" the preacher asked with a smug look.

The Joker pointed a finger at one of the thugs.

"You see, Bill back there has the authority to perform a wedding. Sooo, if you don't do this, I have someone else who _will_."

The preacher looked at Samantha with a mixture of fear and pity in his eyes.

"Shall we start?" the Joker snickered.

Samantha searched for Edward with her eyes and found him still sitting on the pew with the thug pointing a gun at his head. She had never seen him so angry. He looked about ready to explode!

Bruce Wayne looked around and slowly began to ease out of his seat. By going with his gut instinct, he had chosen an end seat in the back row, so he didn't have to move past anyone.

"_I knew this might happen,"_ he thought as he snuck to the side door.

He needed to get to his gear, quickly. He had it stowed away in a hidden part of the church. If he could just slip out undetected…

Bruce felt a gun barrel jab him in the back and he froze. A clown with bright yellow hair aimed his gun at Bruce's head.

"Get back in your seat," he growled.

Bruce looked around to see the clowns had blocked off every exit. As much as he hated it, he could do nothing to help Samantha without revealing who he really was. The clown led Bruce back to his seat.

At the altar, the preacher sighed sadly.

"I'm so sorry," he told her.

"Just skip to the 'I Dos'," the Joker said to him.

Tommy came over holding the camera in one hand, still recording, and the wedding ring Edward was supposed to give to Samantha in the other hand. He passed the ring to his boss.

"Hold the camera steady, Stupid," the Joker hissed at him.

Tommy saluted. The Joker glanced at the golden ring and then back at Samantha.

"Do you…_Joker_, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife; …to love, honor, and cherish in sickness and in health so long as you both shall live?"

The Joker gave a big grin at Samantha and chuckled.

"Sure, why not? Oh wait, wait, wait! I'm supposed to say 'I do', silly me," he cleared his throat, "I do."

He grabbed Samantha's hand and slipped the ring on her finger. She snatched her hand away from his grasp as if she were burned.

"And do you, Samantha, take this…._man_… to be your lawfully wedded husband… to love…honor…and cherish… in his sickness, and in health, so long as you both shall live?"

Samantha looked the Joker straight in the eye. "I'm not saying it," she said in a shaky voice.

The Joker once again cleared his throat. "Uh, Bill?"

Bill cocked his gun and pressed the barrel to Edward's temple. The Joker held Samantha's stare as her chin trembled. When she spoke, her voice came out strained.

"I do…"

The Joker's grin widened. He grabbed the ring Edward was meant to wear and slipped it on his gloved finger.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may-,"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what to do."

The Joker pulled Samantha over and forcefully placed his lips on hers. Samantha rammed her fist against the side of his head and he laughed wildly, unfazed. He drew her in for another kiss when the sound of a struggle made him break away and look to see Edward struggling with Bill.

"Time to go," the Joker said and clamped his hand around Samantha's wrist.

He jumped over to Edward, whacked him on the head with his gun and laughed when he fell to his knees.

The people were beginning to panic.

"Is the car ready?" the Joker asked Tommy.

"Right out front, Boss."

The thugs followed as the Joker dragged Samantha towards the door.

"Edward!" Samantha screamed.

Tommy ran to the front of the group, recording the 'newlyweds'. "Congratulations, Sir!" he shouted over the crowd's raised voices. The Joker pushed him aside.

The people began to rise from their seats and head for the door. Samantha's bouquet was jerked out of her hands by the Joker.

"You forgot to throw the bouquet."

He threw it into the crowd, pulled a small remote from his suit's pocket and pressed a button. Instantly the bouquet exploded, creating utter chaos as the crowd scattered everywhere and backed away from the door.

Samantha's jaw dropped and the Joker laughed hysterically.

"Come on, Samantha, we don't want to be late for our _honeymoon_."

He cackled and dragged her out of the church into the black van waiting for them with a thug as the driver.

The moment the Joker entered the backseat he shouted, "Go! Go! Go! Go!"

The driver slammed his foot on the gas pedal and drove it to the floor. Tires screeched as the vehicle took off, leaving a crowd of terrified and confused people.

Samantha buried her face into her hands.

"_No; this is not happening! This is a nightmare," _she kept thinking over and over.

This couldn't be legal... The marriage license! The Joker had to sign the marriage license for t to be legal. She wasn't married!

The Joker draped his arm over her shoulders.

"So how's it feel to be a married woman?" he asked.

"We are _not_ married," Samantha replied coldly.

The Joker moved his face close to hers. "Oh yes, we are."

"Just because we went through the marriage ceremony doesn't mean we're married. There's also the marriage license and Edward signed his name on that."

The Joker grinned as he gripped her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"You didn't think I'd forget that little detail, did you?" He laughed and licked his lips.

….

"He did _what_?" Edward screamed.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Nigma, but by the Joker scratching out your name and writing his…signature, Samantha Reads became his legal wife," the marriage license expert informed him.

Edward grabbed fist full of his red hair and came close to pulling it out.

How could this happen? How? The only reason he had not put up too much of a protest when the Joker had switched places with him was because he knew that without the Joker signing his name on license, the ceremony would not be legit. And now it turned out that the clown had somehow gotten his hands on the paper, crossed out his name and replaced it with his own! It was infuriating!

"Does that signature even count? 'The Joker'? It's not even a full name, let alone his real one!"

"It's a legal marriage, Mr. Nigma…God help that poor girl."

The expert left the church and Edward glared at the license with a deep passion of loathing.

"Oh Samantha, I'm so sorry," he whispered.

He sank to the alter steps and put his head in his hands.

"I kept saying everything was going to be okay, but I was wrong."

Edward felt that he was not alone in the church's sanctuary. He looked up to find the Batman standing in front of him.

"You!" Edward growled. He jumped to his feet and glared at him.

"Where were you? You saved her before, why couldn't you do it again?"

Batman lowered his head in shame. "I was…I couldn't do anything," he began.

Edward pointed at him. "Don't make excuses!" He started pacing the floor.

"Do you know where he could have taken her?" Batman asked.

Edward gave a snort. "How should I know?" he snapped.

"Nigma, being hostile to me won't save Reads. You have to help me."

Edward paused and seemed to consider his words. He slowly nodded.

"I'm not a fan of yours, Batman; I'll say it right now. I believe you should be locked up in Arkham, but for now I'll work with you. But only to save Samantha."

"Do you have any ideas about where they've gone?"

"No… Nothing," Edward said painfully.

"If you think of anything or hear anything, let me know," Batman said and began to leave. His black cape slightly fluttered behind him.

"How am I supposed to contact you?" Edward asked.

"I'll call."

Edward watched as Batman went out the double doors. He suddenly ran after him.

"Wait!" he called.

He pushed open the doors and stepped out into the lobby. No one was there.

…

Samantha slapped the Joker's hand off her shoulder when it had started to gently massage her. He gave a sigh and flicked his tongue over his lips.

"Are you _still_ going to play 'hard to _get-ah_' even after we're married?" he asked.

"Stop saying that," Samantha hissed.

"But we are though," he said slyly as he moved his hand to the back of her neck.

Samantha jerked her head away and succeeded in avoiding his touch.

The Joker looked down at the golden band around his finger.

"You knooow, I probably need to wear this underneath my glove. It looks tacky when it's over the glove."

Samantha looked out the window. The driver had taken them to the part of Gotham where clubs lined almost every corner.

"Where are we going?" Samantha finally asked.

"We are going to meet up with some people who are throwing us a little wedding banquet," he answered as he brushed a strand of Samantha's hair from her face.

It had been nearly a year since the last time he touched her and he was enjoying this moment. Of course, he couldn't say the same for Samantha.

"Banquet? Who do you know that would do that for you?" she asked.

"People like me," the driver said, speaking for the first time.

The Joker kicked the back of the thug's seat. "Hey! Drivers are meant to be seen, not heard."

"Sorry, boss."

The Joker took off his left glove, slipped on the wedding ring, and pulled the glove on over it. He stretched his hand around and looked at it.

"There we go," he sighed.

His brown eyes looked up and gazed out of the windshield. He leaned forward and gave the driver's shoulder a quick tap.

"Right here, pull over," he ordered.

"But Boss, that club's the most popular place to be. Everyone will see you and someone will call the cops."

"Oh I'll be seen alright…but no one will call the cops. I'll fit in with the crowd."

Samantha scoffed. "We'll stick out like a sore thumb," she said bitterly.

The Joker raised his eyebrows and pointed at the passenger window.

"_Not to-niiiight_," he sing-songed.

Samantha saw a small group of people walking to the club entrance dressed in costumes.

The Joker got out of the van, walked around to Samantha's door and opened it for her. He held out his hand to help her out.

"I've got the private party room reserved for us," he laughed.

Samantha stepped out of the van, refusing to accept his hand.

He grasped her by the arm and pulled her close to whisper in her ear.

"I've got this place rigged to blow if you try to do anything," he gave her arm a squeeze, "got it, sweetheart?"

Samantha slowly nodded. He grinned evilly and slipped his hand into hers, entwining their fingers.

"Come on."

He tugged her forward as he began to walk to the door. The driver drove the van away with the instructions to park behind the club.

The Joker pushed open the door and Samantha's ears were attacked with the volume of the music and voices inside the club. The lighting was very dim except for the bright flashes of colored lights briefly illuminating the place then clicked off and lite up again. All around them partygoers wore costumes of all types and danced with strangers. People sat at the neon illuminated bar, drinking and talking about this and that.

One young man paused in his dancing and stared at the Joker.

"Dude, that costume is sick!" he exclaimed, smiling. "It looks like the real thing!"

The Joker gave a quick smile and passed him by. The man looked at Samantha.

"Whoa! Who's this? What's your name?" he asked.

Samantha ignored him and tried to push past the throng of dancers.

"Hey, I'm talkin' to you, bi-!"

He seized her by the wrist and jerked her to him. The Joker let out a snarl and whirled around. He latched onto the man's arm and twisted it behind his back, threatening to break it.

"Now that's not very nice, is it?" the Joker asked him.

"N, no," the man stammered.

"Say you're so-_rry_," the Joker began to twist his arm further.

"I'm sorry," the man whimpered.

"What? I'm sorry, I didn't catch that?" He applied even more pressure to the man's arm.

The man's face contorted in agony. "I'M SORRY!" he screamed.

The Joker released him and he fell to the floor.

"That's better, come on."

The Joker gripped Samantha's hand and resumed pulling her along behind him.

They came to the back of the club and went to a black door with a sign on it that said, 'Reserved.' The Joker turned the knob and let himself in, jerking Samantha inside. Nine men, some in clown masks, some without, were gathered around a table with food and drinks.

"Hi Boss," Tommy greeted.

The Joker pulled out a chair for Samantha and waited for her to sit down. She was frozen to the spot, gapping at the display in confusion and uncertainty. Only when the Joker cleared his throat loudly at her did she snap out of it. Samantha lowered herself into the chair and felt her skin burn when his hand slid across her shoulder as he stepped away. He grabbed the chair next to hers and plopped down.

The Joker wrapped his hand around a glass from in front of him and lifted it high.

"Let's celebrate!" He cackled and downed the drink.

The clowns erupted into cheers and began to dig into the food. Samantha suspected they cheered because they could finally drink whatever alcoholic beverages they had poured themselves. The Joker lifted his feet and propped them on the table as he lay back in his chair. Samantha caught a glimpse of the wacky colored socks he always wore. He gave her a sly grin and a wink.

Samantha looked over at Tommy and felt like the air was knocked out of her.

"Tommy? From the night shift?" she asked.

Tommy smiled and waved at her. "Yep, hi!" he greeted.

Samantha was quiet before she found her voice again. She turned her head to look at the Joker.

"What did you say to him to make Tommy join you?" she asked incredulously.

The Joker shrugged. "I just started ordering him to do things and he did them." He leaned towards Samantha as he said, "The hospital might want to take a closer look at a person'sss _mental_ health-ah before they hire them." He wet his lips and straightened up, still resting his feet on the table.

Tommy stood from his chair, holding his glass, and cleared his throat. Everyone's head turned in his direction.

"I'd like to propose a toast to the newlyweds," he said smiling.

Samantha's face was one of utter disbelief. This was just too weird!

The thugs with their clown masks on took them off and grabbed their drinks. The Joker picked up his glass too. Samantha's head ached at the normal way everyone was acting.

Tommy raised his glass at Samantha and the Joker. "To the lovely Bride!" he said.

The Joker quirked an eyebrow at Tommy. The man who wore the Yellow mask leaned over towards Tommy.

"And groom," he whispered.

Tommy realized how his toast had sounded and quickly added, "And groom!"

He stared nervously at the Joker. The Joker tapped his index finger against the vessel part of his glass and stared at Tommy with cold eyes.

"Did you just, uh, hit on my wife?" he asked in a low, icy voice and licked his lips.

"Not intentionally," Tommy squeaked. Tommy lifted his glass again. "All hail the groom," he said shakily.

The Joker stared at him in silence for almost a minute.

"I'll let it slide," he finally said.

Tommy heaved a sigh of relief. Everyone raised their glass and drank. All except Samantha.

The Joker paused as he brought his drink to his lips and raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't drink," she stated.

"I _know_, but ya gotta have a _li-ttle_ bi_t-ah _of wine at your own wedding banquet, hm?" he said and swirled the liquid around in his cup. "So, drink up."

It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order.

Samantha grudgingly took her glass and drank the wine. The Joker smiled broadly and downed what was left of his drink, letting out a satisfied sigh.

….

After the party, the Joker, Samantha, and Tommy went to the van and got in. Tommy was ordered to drive to a hotel, but Samantha was not able to hear the hotel's name. They pulled up behind the hotel and climbed out of the vehicle. Tommy stood next to the Joker.

"I've got a cousin who works here. He said that he'd let us use the suite and make sure no one bother us. No questions asked," he told him.

Tommy went to the back door and pulled out a hotel card key. The Joker looked around for anyone passing by as Tommy swiped the card and unlocked the door. No one was coming.

He opened the door and the Joker pulled Samantha inside with Tommy following.

"Which room?" the Joker asked.

Tommy handed the hotel key and a room key to the Joker. The Joker glanced at the room key's number and pocketed both sets of card keys.

"Come on," he urged Samantha as he took her by the hand.

They went to the fire escape route and began climbing the stairs to the seventh floor. They exited the escape route and went down the hall before stopping in front of a door.

The Joker took out the room key and pushed it into the scanner. The door clicked and he nudged it open with his foot. Samantha was shoved into the room. The Joker stood with his back to her as he blocked the doorway while talking to Tommy.

"And you're positive he can erase the room's enter and exit times from the hotel's computer?" he asked.

"Don't sweat it, Boss; my cousin's a wiz with electronics. He's trying to get a better job."

"What's his name?"

"Jervis Tetch. So, Boss, what am I supposed to tell Harley when she asks where you are?" Tommy asked.

"Tell her I'm looking for a different place for the two of us to hide out in."

"Which two; you and Harley or you and Samantha?"

"Me and Harley, Stupid!"

The Joker slammed the door in Tommy's face and turned on his heel. Samantha was not there.

He quickly made his way over to the bathroom to find the door closed and the space underneath illuminated by the light inside. He tried to turn the knob. Locked. He expected that. The Joker rapped his knuckles on the door.

"You can't stay in there forever," he said in a teasing voice.

"What did Tommy mean about Harley?" Samantha's voice sounded muffled from behind the door.

The Joker gave a playful sigh, stuck his hands in his coat pockets and leaned against the door.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked how I escaped from Arkham yet," he said.

Something in his tone told her how he escaped.

Samantha immediately unlocked the door and opened it, causing the Joker to lose his balance and fall backwards, landing on his back. Samantha held in a laugh as she stared down at him.

"Harley helped you escape?" she asked.

The Joker held up an index finger.

"Actually, you _could_ say thaaat she was the 'brains' behind the escape," he grunted as he straightened up.

Samantha lifted an eyebrow. "The brains?"

The Joker put an arm around her shoulders and held his arm out in front of them, just like he had done the first day they met.

"Picture this… I'm sleeping in my cell, and for _once_, I'm not thinking up schemes of criminal acts; then out of nowhere- BAM!"

Samantha gave an involuntary jump.

The Joker chuckled and continued with his story. "My cell's glass wall explodes and staaanding in front of me is Harleen Quinzel, now known as Harley Quinn…" He paused and slowly turned his head to look at Samantha. The tips of their noses brushed against each other.

Samantha stepped back and continued to frown at him. "What did you do to her?" she asked.

The Joker faked a shocked expression.

"What; you think _I_ did something to her?"

"You must have manipulated her."

"_May-_beee she just wanted to help?"

Samantha gave a scoff. "Fat chance. You're a manipulator; you mess with people's minds, emotions, lives, everything!"

She turned away from him and went to look out the window.

The Joker grinned as he took off his gloves and coat. "Aaaw, Samantha, I had no idea you felt that way about me," he said as he silently slid over to her.

"There are no words to describe how I feel about you," she retorted coldly.

The Joker quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him. He put his lips to her ear. "I could say the same thing," he half-whispered.

Samantha broke away and whirled around to face him.

His brown eyes were so unnerving; with the clown paint on they looked black. The Joker's mouth slowly pulled back into a grin and she noticed his teeth were slightly less yellow than the last time she's seen them. The staff at Arkham must have forced him to brush his teeth. He actually had a nice set of teeth if they weren't so yellow. His hair looked like it had been washed recently. But the suit was the same as always.

Samantha took a quick glance at the bathroom door to see if it was still open; it was.

The Joker caught her sneaked glance and gave a teasing shake of his head while making a clicking sound with his mouth.

"_Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk…_ You're not going back in there," he told her and wet his lips.

Samantha swallowed nervously. "Watch me," she challenged.

She took off towards the door, expecting him to leap after her, but he didn't. He merely brought his foot down on the hem of her wedding dress. The fabric held and kept Samantha in place. She looked back at the Joker.

He was looking down at his foot, head cocked to the side, with his hands clasped behind his back. He lifted his face to meet her gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"Hm… My compliments to your wedding dress maker."

Samantha gave an aggravated sigh and tried to pull the fabric out from under his foot. He took hold of her wrists and jerked her over to him. Once again, he wrapped both arms around her waist.

"Why don't you stay here with me for a little while? Hm?" he asked with a laugh.

Samantha tried to wiggle out of his arms, but they were locked around her.

"Let go," Samantha said fearfully.

The Joker chuckled and cupped a hand under her chin, forcing her to make eye contact.

"What are you so afraid of... hm?"

"Take a wild guess."

The Joker looked up at the ceiling for a moment as if searching for the answer, then looked back down with a smile.

"Me?" he answered.

"We have a winner," Samantha said, sarcastically.

The Joker touched foreheads with her, staring directly into her eyes. "Are you my prize?" he whispered.

Samantha tried to speak but her throat was in a knot. She shook her head 'no'.

"Oh I think you are," he said and surprisingly placed a _gentle_ kiss on her forehead.

Samantha inhaled nervously through her nose and paused. Was he wearing cologne? It smelled actually nice… Samantha subtly leaned closer to him and inhaled again.

The Joker moved his lips to her neck and kissed the sensitive spot there. Alarms went off in Samantha's head. She suddenly jerked away and ran to the bathroom, slamming the door shut.

The Joker stared at the door and grinned. He softly chuckled to himself. The Joker threw his body on the bed and got comfortable, waiting for Samantha if she decided to come out of the bathroom. He doubted that she would though. She'd probably sleep in there. Samantha was going to be in for a long, sleepless, uncomfortable… and _lonely_ night.

The Joker sighed as he stared at the bathroom door.

"…I almost had you," he whispered and stretched out his arm to turn off the lamp beside the bed.

**(Well, there it is! I hope you enjoyed it! Oh and by the way, I was wondering if any of you out there have an artistic eye. I'd really love it if someone drew a scene, character, etc. from either of my stories. I've tried to find someone several times to draw something for my stories, but it never happens. So could you please try for me? Anyway, send me some reviews and thank you for the reviews you've sent so far! They keep me going!)**


	7. Chapter 7

**(Hello! Since I got a lot of reviews about the last chapter, I decided to try updating as soon as I possibly could, which would be today. I still would like to know if any of you would try drawing something for my story. You can message me if you want to discuss it in more detail. I seriously would like some art with my story. :) I suggest listening to 'I'd Come for You' by Nickelback or 'Hymn For The Missing' by RED during this chapter. Both of these songs remind me of Edward {or Bruce Wayne} while he's looking for Samantha. Well, I hope you enjoy this next installment, I certainly did while writing it and I have ****Shadow's creator**** to thank for that. Without her, I don't think the ending of this chapter would have been as…interesting as it is now. So thanks ****Shadow's creator****. ;)**

Chapter 7

After changing out of his groom suit, Edward started walking from the church to his apartment and passed by a group of three costumed people, sitting at the tables outside of a small restaurant. A young man in the group was loudly complaining to his friends about an encounter he had earlier that night in a club.

"So, the clown guy turns around and grabs my arm and-,"

Edward stopped in his tracks at the word 'clown.' He whirled around and went to the group.

"Excuse me, but did you say 'clown'?" he asked.

The young man nodded.

"He was all dressed up like a clown. I think he was supposed to be that Joker guy. He had a girl with him; she was in some wedding dress. I tried to talk to her and he attacked me."

Edward's breathing quickened. "Where did they go?"

"Eh, some room reserved for parties in the back of the club," the young man said lazily.

"What club?"

"The Luna."

Edward ran to catch a taxi.

Once he was inside The Luna, he asked for the manager and found himself talking to a Mr. Clayton in the back of the club.

Edward couldn't help but think that Clayton looked like a 1920s mobster. Maybe he was a mobster?

"I need to know about the man who reserved the private room a few hours ago," Edward demanded.

Clayton looked like he couldn't care less. He seemed to be deeply engrossed with inspecting his clean fingernails, not looking Edward in the eye.

"I can't give you that information," he said.

"Why not?" Edward snapped.

"Because of a little thing called 'privacy'," Clayton retorted.

Again, the image of him being a Roaring Twenties mobster popped into Edward's head. Maybe he needed to go in a different direction for questioning this guy.

He drilled Clayton with his stare. "Privacy or Bribery?" he asked.

Clayton looked up from examining his cuticles.

"What?" he said in a slightly different tone than the one he had been using.

Edward went on now that he had the man's attention. "How much did he pay you not to tell anyone?"

"Man, I didn't get paid nothin'. I don't know what you got in your head but it's all wrong," Clayton told him.

He moved to walk past Edward but he moved into Clayton's path.

"Listen Clayton, I don't have much patience left today; so you better tell me what I want to know."

Clayton gave a smirk and pushed Edward aside. Edward grabbed the back of Clayton's suit collar and began to pull him to the back door. Edward went out the door with Clayton in tow and spun him around. He grabbed Clayton by his front collar and pinned him to the brick wall behind the club. Clayton winced and let out a yelp.

"Talk!" Edward shouted.

"I don't know! I didn't even know the room had been reserved!"

"Stop lying to me!" Edward shouted.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Clayton insisted.

"You have to have the _manager's _permission to reserve a private room. So come on! Lie to me again!" Edward growled.

Clayton squirmed in Edward's iron grip. "Alright! Some guy calls me and says he and a few of his buddies want to throw a party-."

"What was his name?"

"Oh come on, how should I know?" Clayton whined.

Edward gave him a blow to his abdomen. Clayton doubled over and hit his knees on the pavement. Edward glared down at him.

"I told you my patience is wearing thin… I prefer not to resort to violence, Mr. Clayton, but this is a subject that I would gladly make an exception to. What. Was. His. Name?"

"He said his name was Issac LeRire. He said he'd pay me five grand to keep quiet," Clayton said forcefully.

"Issac LeRire?" Edward repeated.

Clayton nodded.

"How long did they stay in the room?"

"Two, three hours maybe."

"Do you know where they went afterwards?"

"No, and that's the truth, I swear!"

Edward stood silently as he thought over everything. Issac LeRire… 'Issac' was Hebrew for 'he laughs' and 'Le Rire' was French for 'to laugh.' It could only be the Joker.

_So this clown is intelligent…_ Edward fixed Clayton with a cold stare.

"If I were you, I'd make it a priority to meet the people I rented out rooms to." He walked back to the street and towards his awaiting taxi.

….

Samantha woke up the next morning with an ache in her back and her neck. She had slept on the cold tiled floor of the bathroom using towels as her mattress, pillow, and blanket. Samantha stretched and groaned when she heard the sound of her bones popping. The events of the day and night before came flooding back to her and she remembered where she was.

Samantha walked towards the bathroom door hesitantly and put her ear to it, listening for any sound from outside. She heard nothing, so she slowly unlocked the door and turned the knob. Samantha stuck her head through the small opening. No Joker.

She gave a sigh of relief and pushed the door open wider. Samantha stepped out into the room and gasped when the door suddenly closed behind her, seemingly on its own.

The Joker appeared from behind it, closing the door completely with one hand while leaning against the wall.

"Hello there," he said in a low voice and licked his lips.

He used his shoulders to push his weight off the wall. "It was _very_ rude of you to leave me aaall alone on our honeymoon," he said in a fake hurt voice.

"You should be used to being alone."

The Joker raised his eyebrows at her stabbing remark and put a hand over his heart.

"Ouch… 'Take thy beak from out thy heart,'" he quoted.

He put both hands on her shoulders and stood behind her as he moved his head right beside her own, their cheeks touching.

"I'll get to you. You'll see…I'm going to win you over someday. One day…I'm gonna make you _smiiiile…_"

Samantha moved away from him and saw a set of woman's clothes, folded neatly on the bed. It was a deep purple, long-sleeved, form fitting, shirt and long jean pants that would clearly show off her figure.

The Joker followed her gaze and walked towards the clothes.

"You need something less inconspicuous," he explained motioning with a hand towards her wedding dress.

He picked up the clothes and tossed it to her. Samantha glanced at the size tags. She raised her eyebrows and looked up at the Joker.

"How did you know what size I wore?"

The Joker merely gave her a cheeky grin and giggled.

Samantha felt her face flush and her hands form into fists.

"You sleazy-!"

The Joker put out his hands and held her back by her shoulders, still smiling.

"Now, now, now; I'm not like that, Samantha. I've got some, uh, _class_ to me, even if you refuse to believe it. I just had Officer Roberts sneak a peek at your clothes and report the size to me."

Samantha paused at the mention of the dead man.

"You, you mean… Officer Roberts was working for you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Mm-hmm…"

Samantha felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Was no one in this city trustworthy? She stared at the purple shirt in her hands. It was the style she liked. Any other time she would have thought that the Joker knowing the clothes style she liked was creepy but at the moment, she just wanted to change into some clean clothes.

Samantha moved past the Joker to the bathroom to change clothes and turned to close the door in time to see the disappointed look on the Joker's face. If he thought for one second that she'd change clothes in front of him…!

She slammed the door shut and locked it for good measure. When she came back out, the Joker gave a whistle.

"Purple really is your color," he said and grinned charmingly.

"Great, maybe we should get matching outfits and walk around the city so everyone will see us," Samantha said sarcastically.

The Joker cocked an eyebrow.

"Did you just make a sarcastic joke?" he asked.

Samantha froze.

"…No," she lied.

The Joker let out a mirthful laugh. "I'm finally rubbing off on you!"

Samantha's face turned red.

"_Ugh! No!" _she thought.

The Joker plopped down on the bed, slightly bouncing.

"Sooner or later-ah I'll get you to laugh."

"That will _never_ happen," Samantha said coolly.

The Joker cocked his head slightly to the side. "I don't know," he sing-songed, "It could happen."

He licked his lips and grinned as he watched her. She was wound up tighter than a spring. Sooo tense… Every time he went near her he could visibly see the tension in her body build up, like she expected him to grab her and try to rape her… Would it be considered rape if she was his wife? Eh, he wouldn't think about that; after all, he was a better class of criminal. Boy, Samantha was extra jumpy this time; it tickled him to death when she was like this.

There was a knock at the door.

"Boss! I can't take it anymore!" Tommy's voice yelled from behind the door.

The Joker growled at the interruption and the stupidity of Tommy.

What was the point in having Tommy's cousin be sure to erase any evidence that someone was occupying the suite if Tommy made it obvious someone was inside by causing a ruckus?

The Joker sighed and pushed himself off the bed. He opened the door and roughly pulled Tommy inside.

"Tommy, you stupid idiot; why don't you let the entire building know we're here, hm?" he hissed with an angry flick of his tongue along his lips.

"I'm sorry, sir, it's just that Harley won't stop asking questions!" Tommy shrieked.

Harley? Oh yeah, he almost forgot about her…

"What is she asking?" the Joker sighed frustratingly.

Tommy shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other. The Boss was clearly annoyed. What if he had 'interrupted' him from something?

"She keeps asking where you are. She's convinced I know. Harley wants to join you in your search for a new hideout," Tommy told him.

He glanced over at Samantha and looked back at the Joker. He held a hand up to cover his mouth from the side in case Samantha could read lips.

"So, Boss, how was the honeymoon?"

The Joker sent him a deadly glare. Tommy winced.

"Not a good question, huh?"

The Joker clenched his teeth and ignored the question.

"Where's Harley now?" he asked.

"As far as I know she's still at the apartment, going crazy about not knowing where you are."

"Go back and tell her that I might be gone for a few days."

Tommy hung his head and slowly walked to the door, looking like a man being sent to his doom. He looked back at his Boss.

"Do I really have to go back?" he asked.

The Joker silently stared at Tommy, his black eyes boring into him. Tommy felt his blood run cold. He hurried out the door, leaving them alone.

The Joker spun on his heels with his hands behind his back and a wolfish grin on his face. He sauntered over to Samantha.

"Now…where were we?"

….

Tommy slowly opened his apartment door and peeked inside.

"Hello?" he called.

No answer.

He heaved a sigh of relief and stepped inside. Big mistake.

"Tommy!" Harley shouted.

She ran into the living room, still in her harlequin outfit, and nearly ran into him.

"Where is he?" she asked anxiously.

"Who?" Tommy stalled.

"Peter Pan," Harley said sarcastically and then gave the back of his head a swat, "the Joker, who do ya think?" She folded her arms and frowned at him. "Start talkin'," she ordered.

"He'll be back in a few days."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know!"

"Where is he?"

"I know nothing!"

Harley pointed an accusing finger at him. "You **lie**!"

Tommy felt beads of sweat form on his brow.

"No, I don't!" he insisted.

"Yes you do; now tell me where he is."

"I. Don't. Know!"

"How am I supposed to help him if I don't know where he is?"

Tommy gave a nervous laugh. "Trust me; he doesn't want your help right now."

Harley grabbed his shirt collar and jerked him close to her face.

"Listen Tommy, I'm about this close," she held up her thumb and index finger, showing barely any space between the two, "from beating the information out of you. So what do you say?"

Tommy gave a sigh. "Let me go and I'll tell you," he said.

Harley gave a smile and let go.

"That's more like it," she said happily.

Tommy straightened his shirt and stared at her. "Bye!" he yelped and took off out the door.

"Hey!" Harley shouted.

….

Bruce Wayne sat in the temporary batcave underneath the docks. He was sitting in front of his computers, typing in information and scanning the data that showed up.

Alfred came down the elevator and made his way over to him.

"Another long night, Master Bruce?" he asked.

Bruce barely nodded, his eyes fixated on the screens.

Alfred looked at what Bruce was searching for; hospital staff at the hospital being shared with Gotham General.

"Find anything useful, sir?" Alfred asked.

"Maybe…" Bruce tapped a few keys as he spoke.

"From what I know about the Joker, pretty much everywhere he goes, he finds someone who'll work for him. He had to stay at the hospital for a month; it's more than likely that he got someone to work for him. I'm looking for any staff absences at the time of the wedding, especially the staff that tended to him."

He gave the keys a final tap and watched as data flashed across the screen. Only two names appeared.

"Tommy Tetch," Bruce read aloud, "He was the Joker's nurse during the night shift. He didn't show up for work the night the Joker crashed Read's wedding."

"What about the morning shift?" Alfred asked.

Bruce leaned forward to make sure he read the name right.

"Samantha Reads," he murmured.

Alfred's face paled. "She was his nurse? Surely they reassigned her?" he questioned.

Bruce shook his head. "So that leaves only one option; Tommy Tetch." Bruce began to type more info. "There's his address," he muttered when it showed up.

He picked up his secure cell phone and dialed Edward Nigma's number.

"Hello?" Nigma answered.

Bruce spoke in his Batman voice. "Nigma, I've got a lead about someone working with the Joker."

"What is it?" Edward asked anxiously.

"Tommy Tetch; he worked at the hospital with Samantha. Do you know anything about him?"

He heard the squeak of a chair and Edward sigh over the phone. "I can't say that I do. I don't recall her ever mentioning him."

"I'll find out more tonight."

"Why not now?" Edward snapped.

Bruce shook his head. "Too risky," he answered.

"I found out where they went to after the wedding," Edward told him.

"Where?"

"The Luna; but after that, I don't know."

Bruce sighed. "Keep trying," he said and hung up.

He leaned back in his seat and rubbed his eyes.

Alfred produced an invitation from within his inner pocket.

"Perhaps now is not the best time to tell you you've been invited to the Charity Ball at The Glitz?" he said in an attempt at humor.

Bruce stood from his seat and looked at the invite with a sense of reluctance.

"Yes, I'll be attending, go ahead and send the RSVP."

"Very good, sir."

…

Edward pressed the red button of the device he had built next to his phone which turned it off. He turned to the computer screen and typed in his password. Edward had expected the Batman to use a secure phone, that's why he had been up all night building his new little invention he called The Seeker. It could track down any phone, no matter how secure.

Edward smirked as the computer screen showed the scanning bar. Just because he was making video games with Competitron didn't mean he was too busy to make other little helpful tools. After all, his old…hobby had needed use of some questionable gadgets that he preferred the law not know about. Riddles and puzzles were his thing, but electronics were his element.

He interlocked his fingers and rested his chin on top of them. His golden brown eyes never strayed from the computer.

"Riddle me this…Riddle me that…Who and where is the big, black Bat?" he whispered.

Edward loosened his green tie and undid the cuff buttons on his suit's sleeves.

Sure he'd work with the Batman this once, but as soon as Samantha was safe and sound, he'd reveal who the Batman was.

The computer beeped and Edward straightened up. He clicked enter and the location showed up on the screen. Edward frowned in disappointment.

It was a stupid storage container field at the docks owned by Bruce Wayne. The police had already been there before and found nothing. Edward sighed and rubbed his eyes in frustration, then froze.

_Bruce Wayne?_

Some dots began to connect in Edward's mind.

The day that Samantha went to Bruce Wayne's party, Batman had shown up, but Bruce Wayne was nowhere to be seen.

Edward had heard rumors that when the Joker had told Batman the locations of Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes, Batman had gone after Rachel. Wasn't Rachel Bruce's best friend?

Edward needed more hard facts, not just rumors.

Other little details began to come to him. Bruce Wayne had been missing for seven years; when he returned to Gotham Batman soon showed up. Of course it could be a coincidence, but Edward had never really believed in coincidence.

The last detail that came to him was the wedding. Bruce had been there. True, Batman had not shown up, but Bruce had not been able to leave the room. When Batman did show up, he said he couldn't do anything.

Was it quite possible that Bruce Wayne was Batman? The richest man in Gotham, one of the richest in the world, was Batman?

Edward drummed his fingers on the desk as he thought it over.

Being rich was another mark against Wayne; how else would Batman be able to acquire all those marvelous gadgets?

Edward clenched his fists.

If he _was_ Batman, then he had no excuse for not saving Samantha at the wedding. No excuse at all! He could have saved her!

Edward jumped up from his chair and stormed to his room. He jerked open his closet and searched through his clothes. He found a dark green business suit and pulled it off the hanger. He hadn't worn this thing in ages. It had been a gift to him from a friend with very bad taste in clothes, but now as he gazed at it…it didn't seem that bad.

_Maybe the Joker had the right idea about some things?_

He reached into the closet and pulled out a golden cane.

Last Halloween he had dressed up as an aristocratic Englishman and used the cane as a prop. It needed more detail to it.

He brought out a black tie and a green bowler hat that came with his suit. Edward gave a chuckle.

"This could be fun…," he said to himself.

A sudden image of Samantha's face flashed across his mind. He shook his head and put everything back in the closet. Samantha wouldn't want him to do it that way.

…

That night, Batman climbed in through Tommy Tetch's apartment window and looked around. It was very dark inside. He slowly moved to the bedroom…empty.

Batman sensed movement behind him and quickly whirled around. A woman in a harlequin outfit was in mid-swing with a cooking pot in her hand. Batman ducked and heard the swish of the pot above his head. The woman let out a yell and went to hit him again.

"Wait!" Batman shouted.

"No way! Not after what you did to my Puddin'! Did you stop? I think not!" the woman hissed.

Batman grabbed the pot and flipped on the light switch next to him. The light revealed a very curvy, yet slender woman in a red and black harlequin costume and hatred in her blue eyes.

"Harleen Quinzel?"

She tried to snatch the pot back but failed. Harley abandoned the pot and glared at him.

"It's not Harleen Quinzel anymore; it's Harley Quinn!"

She jumped up and kicked Batman's stomach. Thanks to his body armor the kick did not affect him as badly as it could have.

"Where's the Joker, Quinn?"

"Don't know, and if I did, I wouldn't snitch!"

"He has Reads! Tell me-!"

Harleen's eye grew large.

"Sammy?" she asked.

Batman nodded.

She stood there quietly for a moment and then burst into a fit of giggles.

"You really had me going there, Batman; but Mistah J loves me now and he doesn't want anything to do with Sammy, so why would he take her?"

"You think he loves you?"

"Of course he does, but I don't expect a heartless guy like you to know about that."

"… Where's Tommy Tetch?"

Harley shrugged as she made her way, little by little, to the open window.

"Don't know, don't care. The guy ran out of here." She sat on the windowsill and smiled. "Bye B-man!" She blew him a kiss and waved.

Batman lunged at her just as she jumped out the window and did several acrobatic maneuvers to the pavement below. Batman gazed down at her as she ran off. Now he had two costumed whackos to find…and both of them were clowns.

…

At the hotel, Samantha was ready to run to the bathroom and sleep on the floor again. She jerked on the door but it refused to budge. She looked over her shoulder.

The Joker was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her with a look of amusement on his clean face. Without his clown make-up on he did not look as menacing but his eyes never changed.

He licked his lips. "Oh look at that, the door's locked. Looks like we'll have to share the bed tonight," he said mischievously as he gave the bed a pat.

"I'll sleep on the floor," Samantha hissed.

The Joker lifted an eyebrow and wet his lips.

"Now, uh, you know I can't allow that."

He backed up on the bed to where he was lying at the head board and gave the spot beside him a few pats. He would never stop; Samantha tried to stall.

"What do you mean you 'can't allow that'?" she asked.

The Joker lay on his back with his hands behind his head and sighed. "Beeecaaaaussse it would be rude for a husband to let his wife sleep on the floor and take the bed for himself. Plus, I'd just pick you up and throw you on here," he added with a wink and a wicked grin.

The Joker pointed to the empty space beside him. "Now quit stalling and get over here."

"What if one of us needs to use the bathroom?"

"I have the key _hidden _somewhere…now ge_t-ah _over here."

As much as Samantha did not want to share a bed with him, she didn't want to sleep on the floor again. She slowly inched her way to the bed and sat on the far side of him. He gave a victorious smile and closed his eyes. Samantha lay on her side as far away as possible with her back to him.

The Joker cracked an eyelid open and peeked at her. He giggled as he removed a hand from under his head and touched her hip, giving it a squeeze.

"Giving me the cold shoulder, are we?" he asked.

Samantha flinched and slapped his hand away. She grabbed a pillow and placed it between them.

"NO part of your body is to cross over this pillow!" she hissed.

A minute of silence passed before the Joker slipped his hand under the pillow and touched the small of her back.

Samantha jerked away and sat up, glaring at him.

"Didn't I just say-?" she began but he cut her off.

"You said _over _the pillow, not _under_." He began to laugh uncontrollably.

"You are so childish!" Samantha cried in aggravation.

The Joker sat up, moved the pillow to the side, and slid closer to her. "And you are soooo seriou_s-ah_," he said with a grin and ran his tongue over his mouth.

Samantha shook her head and turned her back to him.

The Joker moved from his spot and stood on his knees behind Samantha. He put his hands on her shoulders and felt Samantha immediately stiffen.

"You need to learn how to relax," he said as he began to knead her shoulders.

"Ever heard of personal space?" she snapped and got off the bed.

She moved to the other side of the bed where the Joker had been. The Joker followed her with his eyes and sighed. Samantha pulled the covers over her and once again turned her back on him.

The Joker grinned as an idea came to him. He gripped the covers.

"Well, if you're going to be like that…"

He jerked the blankets off of Samantha and pulled them over himself.

Samantha sat up and stared at him in annoyance.

"If you won't let your own_ husband_ touch you then I'm not sharing the covers," he said casually.

Samantha yanked the blankets back towards her. "Stop acting like a child!"

The Joker paused before he pulled the covers back to his side. "Child…that reminds me, do you want any kids?"

Samantha's jaw dropped. She picked up the pillow and brought it down on his head.

"Never with you!" she shouted.

The Joker blocked her next blow and snatched the pillow away.

"Now who's acting like a child?" he laughed.

Samantha looked about ready to yell at him again and he quickly covered her mouth with his hand, pinning her down.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh, shush. We don't want people to hear us do we? _Nooo_, we don't want that. Why don't you just _caaalm_ down, hm?"

His tongue darted out along his lips and he snickered as his free arm began to encircle around Samantha's waist. Now she was really nervous and he loved it!

The Joker grinned. "That's more like it," he chuckled.

He rested his head on her shoulder and brushed his lips against her skin, causing flesh bumps to appear on her arm.

Samantha struggled to get away and tore out of his hold. She stood up on the bed and lifted her foot to step over him to get to the other side. She lost her balance and collapsed on top of the Joker's chest.

At first they just stared at one another then the Joker's lips parted into a wide, cheeky grin.

"Well, Samantha, if you wanted-."

Samantha quickly cut him off as she pointed at him and said, "Don't you say another word."

She pushed herself up with her arms, but the Joker pulled her back in. "Stay awhile," he whispered.

Samantha paused at the tone of his voice. The expression on his face…it was the same one he had when he had asked her to dance in high school.

"_Oh God, please…" _

Her voice trembled as she spoke. "I'll let you hold me just for tonight. Nothing more."

The Joker's eyes seemed to light up and he gave the most unmenacing grin she had ever seen him make. He reached up and pulled her face by the chin down to him and whispered in her ear. "One step at a time, Esmeralda."

Samantha reluctantly laid her head on his chest. She heard him give a satisfied sigh and felt his arms wrap around her possessively. It scared the crap out of her. The last sound she heard was the beating of the Joker's heart.

**(Well, there it is. I hope you found it as amusing as me and ****Shadow's creator**** did when we came up with the idea nearly two years ago. I hope to get plenty of reviews *hint hint* and maybe some art *hint hint* … alright enough of the hints. Send me some reviews so I can know how I'm doing and whether I should change things up. **


	8. Chapter 8

**(Wow, thank you all so much for the reviews! And thank you, Mary H. Less and XPsychoBabyDollX for choosing to draw some art for my story! If anyone else wants to do some art then you can feel free to do so. I'm so glad everyone, well, almost everyone, thinks I should keep my story the way it is. That makes me so happy! Beyond happy! Shadow's creator, I'm sorry, but you can't have Edward. danceallnight, I'm sorry the last chapter didn't live up to your expectations. Anyway, the song I suggest you listen to for this chapter is Monster by Skillet for Edward Nigma's transformation. This song was playing on my laptop while I was working on this chapter and it seemed to fit. I hope that this chapter pleases everyone, or as near to everyone as it can get.)**

Chapter Eight

The next morning, Samantha felt sleep wearing away and she slowly began to wake up. She stretched a little; remaining on her bed with both eyes closed, and nuzzled her head against the pillow. She furrowed her brow.

The pillow didn't feel right; it felt…solid...and it was moving. And what was around her waist?

Samantha wearily opened her green eyes. The first thing she noticed was that she had been resting her head on a man's chest and his arm was wrapped around her. The next thing she saw was the Joker's face less than an inch from hers.

Samantha gasped and rolled away without thinking. She ended up rolling off the bed with the bed sheets wrapped around her and landing on the floor with a loud thud.

"Ah!" she yelped.

The Joker's eyes flew open and his head shot up in response to the yelp and loud thump he heard and he looked around.

Where were the bed sheets? Where was Samantha?

He slowly looked over the edge of the mattress and laughed when he found her on the floor, tangled in the sheets.

"Oh, zip it," Samantha muttered.

She stood up and jerked the blankets off of her and threw them on the bed.

The Joker arched his back and grunted.

"Sleep well?" he asked slyly.

Samantha didn't answer. He knew that she had slept well. In fact, surprisingly, she had gone to sleep almost instantly; his heartbeat lulling her into a peaceful slumber. Funny, she never imagined him having a heart.

Samantha sat near the edge at the foot of the bed and put a hand to her stomach; the hunger was hard to ignore. She wanted some breakfast but doubted the Joker was going to provide anything.

To her surprise, the Joker said, "Tommy's cousin, uh, Jar-Head, is supposed to leave a breakfast cart outside the door in a few minutes."

"Jervis."

The Joker paused in the middle of popping his neck to stare at Samantha.

"What?" he asked.

"His cousin's name is Jervis," Samantha corrected him.

The Joker flicked his tongue over his lips in annoyance at being corrected, but just shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, sure, Jervis," he muttered.

In a few minutes, just as the Joker said, a knock was heard on the door and the Joker opened it just a crack. His knife was held in hand, ready to use just in case. He opened it all the way and pulled in a cart of food.

"Ta-dah!" he sang and closed the door with the back of his foot.

He pushed it towards the bed and uncovered the food.

"It'll be better than that hospital food you served me, I can _guar-an-tee_ ya that," he told her.

He hopped onto the bed, reached out to take a cinnamon roll off the platter, and stuffed it into his mouth.

If there was something besides his constant lip wetting that disturbed Samantha, it was the way he smacked his lips when he ate.

"Better eat up, sweetheart, don't know when we'll get a meal like this again," he said between a mouthful of bread.

Samantha didn't take anything. He looked at her and narrowed his eyes.

"Are you going to ea_t-tah_?" he asked.

"Not with you around and the way you eat," she responded.

The Joker chuckled and suddenly whipped his arm out towards her. His hand latched onto her ankle and he pulled her towards him. The sudden motion caused Samantha to fall onto her back and made it easier for him to drag her. Samantha turned onto her stomach and tried to quickly crawl away.

"Ah-ta-ta-ta-taaah!" he giggled and flipped her over onto her back.

The Joker got on his hands and knees, hovering over Samantha. "Do you not understand what's going on? Hm?" he asked her.

Samantha put both hands up and pushed against his chest to get him away. The Joker seized her wrists and straddled her this time, using his legs to hug her hips tightly, restricting Samantha's movements.

"Nooo, I don't think you do… you see, uh, aaa _wife_ is supp_ooosed _to obey and respec_t-ah _her _husband_. Now, I know thaaat we're both new to this marriage thing, but I think that you need to work a little at the obeying and respecting part in the relationship. Hm?" He licked his lips and brought his face closer to hers. "Do you understand now,_ sweetheart_?" he asked in a tone of voice that dared her to contradict him.

Samantha swallowed and felt a slight pain beginning to develop in her head. She did the only thing she could do at the moment. She slowly nodded.

The Joker grinned sickeningly and traced her jaw with his knife. "Did I ever tell you how I got these scars?" he asked. He slowly began to lower his face down to hers and -.

The sound of sirens suddenly reached his ears.

The Joker sighed irritably and ran a hand through his greenish blond hair as he stood up to look out the window.

Samantha breathed in with relief and sat up. She watched as his body tensed when two cop cars came into view.

He relaxed when they passed by the building. The Joker stood still, except for his right index finger tapping away at the window border, gazing at the city in front of him.

After a few minutes he gave another sigh and bit the inside of his cheek as he turned around and faced Samantha.

"Sorry Esmeralda, but our honeymoon is going to have to be cut short. We need to leave," he said, almost reluctantly it sounded like, and grabbed his purple coat.

He pulled out some paint and make-up from the pockets and headed for the bathroom. The Joker took the bathroom key out from under his shirt and unlocked the door.

"_So that's where he had it,"_ Samantha thought to herself.

He looked back at her and wiggled the key between his thumb and index finger. She frowned at him but he only grinned and winked.

With his make-up off, his smiles and winks could make any woman blush…and unfortunately for Samantha, she was no exception to this.

She felt a blush steal across her face and hurriedly looked away.

Luckily the Joker had started to walk into the bathroom at that moment. When the door closed Samantha slapped her hand to her forehead.

"What was that?" she silently scolded herself.

Why was she blushing? Why was she blushing at_ him_? Edward would have -….

_Edward_…

Samantha felt a sharp pang of sadness wash over her. She wished he was here and would take her away. She wanted him to be the one beside her at night; not that, that…psychopathic, masochistic, deranged murderer!

Samantha sat there, lost in her thoughts, until the Joker emerged from the bathroom in his full clown make-up. He adjusted his coat and strode over to her.

"Let's go," he said and stretched out his hand.

Samantha didn't resist in taking it. She would rather be anywhere but in this room alone with the Joker.

….

Edward decided that the best way to keep him from reverting to an old habit that still haunted him and would probably grow worse, was to get back to work. After dropping by Samantha's apartment and picking up Little Riddle, he brought him back to his own place and left for work.

Edward rode the elevator up to the fifth floor of the company Competitron. He finished the crossword puzzle he had been working on just as the door opened and he stepped out, tossing the puzzle in a nearby trash can.

"_Too easy,"_ he thought to himself. He headed for his office.

He stopped in front of his office and turned the doorknob. It wouldn't budge. He tried again but still no results. Edward frowned as he continued to jiggle the knob.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked himself aloud.

He looked to see that his nameplate was removed from the door. Edward noticed a janitor nearby and turned to him.

"This was my office," Edward told him.

The man paused in his work, holding something over the rolling garbage can he had with him.

"_Was_ is right," he said.

Edward saw that it was his nameplate the janitor was holding, which he dropped into the trash. Edward cocked an eyebrow, thoroughly confused.

He heard a slight chuckle from behind him and turned around. Leaning against the wall, was his supervisor.

Edward never referred to him by name, just called him 'Boss.' He had an extreme dislike of the man and Boss felt the same way about him. He was completely against the company owner hiring Nigma from the start, jealous that the board had chosen Edward's game idea instead of his own. Now he took every opportunity he could to make Edward miserable.

Boss pushed off of the wall and strode over to Nigam.

"What's wrong, Eddie? Can't get into your office?" he asked sardonically.

Edward gritted his teeth.

He hated it when people called him Eddie. His father use to call him that, and he had no fond memories of his father.

Edward turned his back to Boss and stared at a design in the wood of his door.

"Not now, I'm in no mood for any of your jokes or anything related to the word 'joke'. Just tell me what's going on."

Boss folded his arms over his broad chest; a smug grin twisted the black goatee on his face.

"You've been canned," he said.

Edwards abruptly turned to face him.

"What?" he asked.

"Sacked, let go, terminated, fired!"

Edward stepped away from his office door and walked towards Boss.

"I can't be fired! I'm the brains behind the design and idea of the biggest selling game Competitron has ever had!" Edward shouted.

Boss smirked. "Not anymore." He handed Nigma a pink slip. "Ya see, Eddie, I was able to convince the board of directors that the company seemed to be losing some money and that I had evidence of a certain someone stealing the company's money."

Edward's anger flared and he balled his fists.

"You filthy, lying….," he seethed.

"Oh, don't worry, Eddie, you'll get the credit for the game, but you won't get a cent of the money…," Boss gave a weasel-like grin, "I will."

"But without me you wouldn't even be making this money! This accusation will never hold up; they'll find you out!"

Boss busied himself by examining his nails. "You think you're so brilliant, huh?" he asked.

"Yes I do," Edward replied without hesitation.

"Okay then, answer me this little riddle. 'If you're _so_ smart, why aren't you rich?'"

Edward was silent as Boss smirked and let out a scoff. "That's what I thought," he said and walked away. Edward stood, shaking with rage while he watched the man leave.

Nigma crumpled the pink slip in his fist and threw it on the floor.

"_Time for Plan B…"_

….

Edward threw open his closet doors and reached for his green suit and golden cane. He hesitated for a moment.

Samantha would die if she knew what he was going to do…but she would probably die literally if he didn't take matters into his own hands.

Edward pulled out the suit and began to change clothes; his body on autopilot while his brain was buzzing with thoughts.

He was tired of being pushed around by the people he worked with, the Joker, and Batman. He had been trying to fight his old habits but they were flinging themselves at him stronger than ever. He had been trying so hard to keep them at bay. He felt that if he did this he would never be able to turn back, but Samantha would understand, wouldn't she? She'd know he was doing this for her, right? He could only hope so…and also hope that this didn't turn out like last time. But this was different than last time, much different.

Edward finished changing and looked at the top of his cane and its staff. It needed more detail, it looked so plain…

…

At his desk, Edward sat with his engraving kit and his cane. Sparks sprayed from the needle as it scratched against the surface.

Little Riddle sneaked over and gazed up at Edward. The cat let out a soft meow.

Edward stopped engraving and turned to stare at the feline.

"Shush! Please, I need absolute concentration and silence," he told the cat.

Little Riddle blinked up at him and Edward turned back to his work.

He was engrossed with his question mark designs that covered the staff of his cane. Little Riddle sat quietly on the floor, watching…for the moment.

The next second he leapt onto Edward's desk and meowed, causing Edward to jump in surprise. Luckily he made no mistakes on his cane. He frowned at the cat and scooped him up in one hand. He carried him out of the room and shut the door.

"That ought to make things easier," Edward said to himself.

He walked back to his desk and got back to work on the cane.

The constant meowing and scratching on the door made him stop and whirl around.

"It's worse than before!" he exclaimed and went to let the cat back in.

Little Riddle strutted into the room triumphantly and paused to look up at Edward. Edward put a hand on his hip while the other remained on the doorknob.

"I bet you weren't this annoying with Samantha," he grumbled.

The cat gave a sarcastic swish of its tail.

Edward finished the design an hour or so later. He looked at the top and sighed through his nose.

"_It needs something else…"_

He turned the cane in his hands, admiring his handiwork. He stared at the question marks and snapped his fingers.

"_That's it." _

He went to a box of metal scraps that he kept and pulled out a medium-sized, thick, golden rod.

"_Where's my blowtorch?" _Edward wondered.

After more time went by, he had a nicely shaped question mark as the top of his cane and a few little hidden tricks he added to the staff.

"Perfect," he said and twirled the cane in his hand.

He gave it a swing to test how it felt.

It was just right. It was like this was meant to happen, like he was meant to become…. Oh darn… he hadn't thought of a name yet.

Edward swung the cane onto his shoulder and let it rest there as he ran some names through his head.

"_Question Mark Man?"_

Edward winced. That sounded terrible.

"_The Questioner?" _

Even worse.

Edward paced up and down the room, tapping his chin with the top of his cane. Little Riddle once again let out a meow.

"Oh be quiet, Riddle, I'm trying to concentr-…." Edward's voice trailed off as he froze. He turned his head in the cat's direction.

The more he thought about it…the more he liked it.

A grin spread across his face. "Riddle…you're a genius."

The cat simply tilted his head to the side and purred loudly.

Edward laughed and walked over to his mirror. He studied his reflection and placed the green bowler hat on top of his head.

"You know what they say, 'If you can't beat them, join them….then kill them quickly.'"

Edward brought out a black domino mask from underneath all the clothes in his dresser drawer.

It was something that he'd promised he'd never use again, but things had changed. Besides, he wasn't exactly going back to his old habit.

Edward gazed at the black mask and then back at his reflection.

"Edward's not here at the moment," he said softly to himself and began to put on the mask.

….

It wasn't long after this that Edward found all he needed to know about Tommy Tetch on his laptop. Edward's computer hacking skills never failed him. He was able to find out what medication Tommy took, what grades he had made in school; everything. He was also able to find out that Tommy's only family member, a cousin named Jervis Tetch, worked in a fancy hotel in the city. Maybe Jervis knew his cousin's whereabouts?

"I think I might pay Jervis a little visit."

He stood from his chair and grabbed his cane on the way out, giving it a little twirl.

….

Jervis Tetch was a shy man with an IQ close to Einstein when it came to science, shaggy blond hair, watery blue eyes, big teeth, and a stuttering problem.

He was just erasing the exit times of the hotel's suite at the front desk. It had been a slow day and not many people were coming in.

He heard footsteps coming his way. Jervis pressed the enter key on his keyboard and glanced to make sure the times erased before he looked up.

"W, who's there?" Jervis asked.

The footsteps stopped and a figure could be made out a little ways from him. The figure kept to the shadows that were being created by a light that had blown out earlier that morning.

"No one really; just a man looking for the answer to life's riddles," came the answer in a smooth voice. It sounded rather intelligent.

Jervis raised an eyebrow and squinted to see if he could make out the man's face, but the shadows still obscured any chance of that.

"Well, um, if, y, you could just step into the light, I c, c, can see if I c, c, can help you," Jervis said.

The man walked into view and Jervis received a shock.

He was dressed in a dark green business suit, a black tie, black button-up shirt, black leather gloves, a golden cane with question marks all over it, a green bowler hat, and a black domino mask over his eyes. Jervis could see red hair underneath the hat, which would occasionally fall into the man's golden brown eyes. There was something about the man's outfit and demeanor that told Jervis that he wasn't going to a costume party. The suit didn't look to gaudy or anything like that. It looked kinda professional.

"C, c, can I help you, sir?" Jervis asked uncertainly.

"I'm pretty sure you can," the man said and twirled his cane like an expert.

"D, do you wa, want a reservation?"

"Actually, I'm looking for a certain person who made a reservation that may or may not be there."

"W, what are you talking about?"

The man pointed his cane at Jervis. "I'm referring to your cousin, Tommy Tetch and his new boss, the Joker."

Jervis flinched. "I d, don't know-,"

"What I'm talking about?" the man chuckled and shook his head wearily. "Funny, I keep hearing that from people and you know what? They end up knowing a lot more than they claim to."

He stepped closer to Jervis and gave him a cold glare. "So what do you know?" he asked.

Jervis fidgeted nervously. The man leaned on the desk, shifting most of his weight onto the elbow that rested on top of the desk surface and letting his hand hang limp over the edge. He gently swung his cane back and forth.

After a few seconds of silence passed, he sighed and said, "Riddle me this, Jervis; what cannot be heard or said?"

"W, what?"

""It's a riddle, give me the answer."

"I…don't know."

The man gave a long drawn out sigh. "Isn't it a pity I can't find anyone with half the smarts as mine?" he muttered to himself, gazing down at his shoes. He looked back up at Jervis. "A secret. That's the answer. You tell me what I want to know and I'll keep it a secret. I'm pretty sure that you don't want the police to know you're involved…"

Jervis glanced around to make sure no one was there, and then faced the man.

"My c, cousin, Tommy came to me a few d, d, days ago, as, k,-king me to let a friend of his use the hotel's suite for free and to m, ma, make sure no one knew about it, m, make it like he was never there."

The man in green drew his hat low over his eyes as he listened. "Anything else?" he asked.

"That's it; I had no idea _who_ the p, person w, was, I just d, did what Tommy said."

"Where's the suite?"

"The suite's empty. He's gone."

The man brought his cane down suddenly, the end of it striking the tiled floor loudly. Jervis jumped.

"He's gone?" the man hissed.

Jervis hesitantly nodded.

"He left six hours ago."

The man stood still as he thought a moment.

"Take me to the room," he said.

….

They entered the suite and the man seemed to take in every detail. Sparks seemed to ignite in his eyes when he looked at the bed and saw the bed sheets were rumpled.

Jervis nervously stood in the doorway, watching him and frequently throwing backward glances over his shoulder at the hallway. The man in green went into the bathroom and came back out holding a wedding dress. Jervis' eyes widened at the sight of the man's face. He stared at it so intensely that Jervis half expected the dress to burst into flames. The man threw the dress down and quickly pushed his way past Jervis and walked out to the hallway.

He was half way down the hall when Jervis called out to him. "Hey, w, who are y, you?"

The man turned on his heel and faced Jervis. He grinned like a maniac, his eyes shining eerily from beneath his black mask.

"Just call me…the Riddler!" he said and bowed theatrically.

He twirled his cane and tucked it under his arm like a general. He turned around and strolled down the hall, leaving a very confused Jervis Tetch.

"He's as mad as a Hatter," he mumbled.

…

Harley slumped down against a dumpster bin in an alley and sighed loudly and miserably.

"Face it, Harl; this stinks!"

She took a deep breath, only to gag from the stench wafting out of the trash.

"Ugh! Literally!"

She stuck out her bottom lip and rested her chin on top of her knuckles.

"It wasn't supposed to end up like this. How is Puddin' gonna find me now? Stupid Batman! He had to go and spoil everything."

She frowned and flicked a speck of dirt off of her knee.

"_Where would Puddin' go to hide?" _she wondered.

A sound emitting from her stomach interrupted her thoughts.

"Geez, I'm starving!"

She looked around and got up from her spot. Harley spotted a hot dog cart near the edge of the alley and the vendor's attention grabbed by something in the opposite direction. Harley smiled.

"That vendor's about to lose a hotdog…"

She crouched low and stayed in the shadows as she slinked towards him. Harley stretched out her arm to take a hot dog when she glanced up to see what the vendor was staring at. It was the TV shop with all the TVs on display in the front window.

"_Men and television,"_ Harley thought with disgust.

She noticed that the vendor was watching GCN news. The news anchor was on the screen, talking about one of their reporters.

"Due to immense stress, our regular reporter, Mike Engle will no longer be working with us. In his place will be Vicki Vale. Vale is reporting live on location at Arkham Asylum."

The scene switched to a beautiful red head with pale blue eyes.

"Thanks Bill. The story we're reporting on now is one that I regret to bring to you," Vicki said into her mic.

"Then why are you announcing it?" Harley scoffed silently.

Vale was standing in front of Arkham with the owner, Dr. Jeremiah Arkham.

"It's been discovered that the Joker has escaped from Arkham and with Doctor Harleen Quinzel as his accomplice-."

Harley gasped and let out a squeak, causing the vendor to turn around. Harley ducked just in time behind the wall and ran down the alley, as far away as possible.

…

Samantha stirred from her sleep when the Joker slammed on the brakes. She jumped and looked around with confusion. Samantha remembered that the Joker had hijacked a car and was driving them to…she didn't know, he hadn't told her. He glanced at her and then back at the road.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," he said.

Samantha sat up and ran a hand through her hair. She lowered her hand and paused mid-way when the wedding band on her finger caught her eye. She quickly looked away and faced the Joker.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"It's a surprise," he said.

Samantha heard the radio playing. It cut to the news and the Joker's attention was caught. It was about him escaping from Arkham. He gave a quick grin and a scoff when Dr. Arkham came on and said that the Joker was close to being captured.

"Catch me if you can," he muttered.

The news went off and the music resumed. Samantha felt her stomach flop when the song 'Sway' began to play.

She looked at the Joker out of the corner of her eye, praying that he wasn't paying any attention to the music. To her misfortune, she heard him humming along with the song. He looked at her and grinned.

"You remember this song, right?" he asked, licking his lips.

Samantha looked away. The Joker's grin widened.

"Yeah, I remember," Samantha sighed and lay back in her seat. "It was the only time I…actually…found you…likable," she admitted.

The Joker raised an eyebrow. "The_ only_ time?" he repeated.

Samantha pretended to think hard for a moment. "Mm…yeah, pretty much."

The Joker made a face and turned the steering wheel to the right. He straightened his green vest while steering with one hand. Earlier he had taken off his coat and tossed it in the back of the car.

"What about that other time in high school, hm?" he asked.

"What other time?"

"That time when the hallway was wet."

"I don't remember that," Samantha said quickly. Too quickly.

The Joker pointed at her, wiggling his finger near her face.

"Oh yes you doooo," he sing-songed.

Samantha pushed his hand away with less aggressiveness than usual. "

No, I don't," she insisted.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't."

"Then why is your face turning red?"

Samantha closed her mouth and refused to look him in the eye.

In all honesty, Samantha did remember that day; very clearly. She had been running down the school hallways, late for class, and was rounding the corner when she ran smack into Allan Jordan. Besides the alias, Joker, Allan Jordan was the only name she knew him by.

The two of them collapsed onto the wet tiled floor. Samantha lifted her head to see the 'Caution: Wet Floor' sign shoved in a corner.

"Well that's helpful," she muttered.

Allan lifted his head and propped the upper half of his body up with his elbows. The back of his shirt was completely soaked.

Samantha carefully stood to her feet, her clothes also very damp. Allan chuckled when he noticed and also tried to stand.

"What did they put on this floor? Soap water?" Samantha asked herself out loud.

"Could be; it-," Allan cut off his sentence and reached out to keep Samantha from slipping and falling. She was actually kinda impressed by his reflexes.

His hands gripped her under her arms as her feet slid out from under her. Samantha looked up at his scar less face. Allan grinned at her.

"That was close," he joked.

He moved to help Samantha regain her footing but ended up falling to the floor with her. Allan laughed and sat up.

"You were saying?" Samantha said.

"Let's try that again," he offered.

Samantha held up her hand in a stop motion.

"No, no; I can do this by myself."

She got half way up when she was back down again.

Allan rested his elbow on his knee and held his knuckles against his chin. A comic serious look was on his face.

"So, uh, how's that working for ya?" he asked.

Samantha frowned at him in frustration.

"Shall we?" he said as he carefully stood up and extended his hand to her.

Samantha reluctantly placed her hand in his and instantly felt a jolt rip through her. That always seemed to happen when their skin touched the others.

He pulled her up and held onto her arms as they faced each other. Allan took one step and began to slide. Samantha held onto his arms and was able to keep him from falling, but she too began to lose her footing. Allan started to laugh like crazy.

If anyone saw them from afar, it would have looked like they were dancing together. They fell two more times before they finally were able to make it out of the make shift slip-and-slide. Their clothes were soaked and their hair damp.

"I'm gonna freeze in class," Samantha said light-heartedly.

Allan ran a hand through his blond hair as his eyes scanned over her wet clothes. He licked his lips and motioned for Samantha to follow him.

"Come on," he said.

For some reason, she followed. He led her to his locker and entered the combination. Samantha stood by, shivering, as he dug around inside. He brought out a jacket and held it out to her.

"Here, wear this, and don't worry; I haven't worn it in public a lot, so no one will know it's mine and start _rumorsss_ about us."

Samantha was so shocked that she couldn't say a thing. She took the jacket and stared at Allan. He had his moments when he wasn't such a pain.

Allan winked, licked his lips, and stared to walk away. Samantha glanced at the jacket in her hands and then back at Allan.

"Allan…," she called.

He turned around with a lifted eyebrow.

Samantha bit her lip and exhaled. "…Thanks."

Allan was still for a moment before he broke into a grin and started walking again, humming 'My Funny Valentine' as he went.

…

Samantha broke out of her reverie and shivered.

"_How did we get from there to here? How did he change from Allan to…this? " _she wondered.

Samantha looked out the window to see they were at the docks and pulling up beside a cargo ship.

"The docks?" she asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

"Yep," the Joker answered as he loaded a clip into his handgun. He stretched his free arm to pick up his coat from the backseat. "Get outta the car," he told her.

Samantha did as he said with no sass. The Joker also got out and placed the gun on top of the car's roof as he shrugged into his coat.

For a brief moment, Samantha thought about making a run for it. The Joker seemed to be able to read her mind.

"Don't, uh, don't think that I won't be able to grab that gun. Officer Roberts made that mistake." He let out a small chuckle.

Samantha shrugged her shoulders. "Where would I go?" she sighed.

The Joker raised an eyebrow as he reached for his gun. He sauntered over to her and tapped the gun barrel on her shoulder.

"Now that's more like it," he said with a gleam in his dark eyes.

He draped an arm across her shoulders and began to steer her towards the rusty store house beside the car. He suddenly paused and dug out the car key from his pocket.

Samantha had been surprised that someone had actually been stupid enough to leave their key in the ignition in Gotham City.

The Joker aimed the little control key chain at the car and clicked the lock button. The car gave two beeps, signaling that it had locked the doors. The Joker twirled the key ring around his purple gloved index finger while facing Samantha.

"You never know if some psycho might try to steal it," he said.

Samantha rolled her eyes and allowed him to lead her to the storehouse.

**(Well, there we are. Please be sure to leave me lots of reviews! I know this one wasn't packed with action like the earlier chapters, but TRUST me, it WILL get better! Please let me know what you think!)**


	9. Chapter 9

**(Hello again, my dear readers! I'm very happy with all the reviews I've been receiving. I practically live off of the reviews; they keep me going and going and going, like the Energizer Bunny. One reviewer asked who sings 'Sway', because they found several version of the song. Basically, I haven't had a set version in mind. Well, if I did it would probably be by Michael Buble, but I'm not sure. I haven't exactly found a version that says 'Samantha & Joker' to me yet. Now, about this chapter, I'm not exactly proud of it, nor is it really one of my favorites. At this point in the story back in 2009, I was having a writer's block and this was what I came up with. But I've tried to make it more interesting by rewriting it as best I could, so please bear with me.)**

Chapter Nine

The Joker shoved open the doors to the store house and looked inside.

"Anyone home?" he called.

No answer.

He chuckled and pulled Samantha inside with him by the elbow. She looked at the floor in the center of the room and saw a large spot that was scorched black like a fire had been there.

"What happened here?" she asked herself aloud.

"Oooh, just a little bonfire," the Joker told her, licking his lips.

"I couldn't find any firewood, sooo I just used half of the mob's money instead. Oh, and an Asian guy."

Samantha's head snapped around in his direction. Her face was one of absolute horror and disgust. He merely shrugged his shoulders.

"You work with what you got," he chuckled.

He put his gun away into one of his coat pockets and switched it out for one of his knives. The Joker began to skip over to a medium sized cardboard box in the corner nearby, humming as he went. He did a final leap and stood next to the box. He flipped his knife and caught it by the handle skillfully. He began to talk to Samantha without looking at her as he started to cut away at the box's top.

"The mob thought I burned _all _of the money…buuut _that-tah_ would be _craaazy_ wouldn't it?"

He gave a final slash at the box and opened it up. Samantha's curiosity got the best of her and she made her way over to his side to look inside. Nestled inside the box were stacks of money.

Samantha's mouth hung open a bit as she picked up a small wade of 100 dollar bills and flipped through it. It was real; it was all real!

"How much is in here?" she asked.

The Joker wasn't really trying to hide the smirk on his face as he watched her look at the money.

"One million; I may not-ah _care_ for money, but it does help to have some emergency cash on hand. Especially to flash in front of the noses of potential recruits. Ya gotta convince them with _something_ to work for a. Guy. Like. Me."

The Joker finished his sentence by making a clicking noise with his mouth and a grin. Samantha placed the money back in the box and shook her head in disbelief.

"Carry this to the car," he told her.

Samantha frowned.

"No. I'm not going to be your hench wench like you turned Harleen into."

The Joker flicked his tongue over his mouth. He closed the gap between them and held a knife up close to her face while grabbing her by the back of her neck.

"You're my _wife_ now, sooo that automatically makes you my hench wench."

He took a step closer to her; his face barely less than three inches from her own.

"Look, just do me a favor, hm? Give me a smile, pick up that box, and carry it to the car like your life depended on it; 'kay?" He flashed a quick grin.

Samantha slowly shook her head.

"You won't kill me."

She wished she felt as confident as she sounded.

The Joker cocked his head to the side.

"I don't knooow…I've come pretty close before…," he sing-songed.

He lifted his knife and let its tip tickle her cheek.

"I think you're beginning to forget who you're dealing with, sweetheart."

Samantha's heartbeat picked up its pace as he put the blade between her lips and gripped the back of her head.

His mouth curled up in a cruel smile and a glint appeared in his black eyes. He wanted to do it. He wanted to simply jerk the blade across her mouth and give her a big grin just like his. Most of his victims turned into a blubbering, sobbing mass at this point, begging for him to not harm them. He'd go ahead and slit their face any way, just because he wanted to. But not Samantha; she just stared right back into his eyes with her own emerald green eyes. Oh, sure, they were opened wide out of fear, but she was silent. She was breathing heavy in anticipation of the pain that would come from the injury but she wasn't crying, pleading, screaming, or _anything._

What was wrong with her?

The Joker flexed his grip on the knife handle, readying himself to cut her mouth open. Samantha squeezed her eyes shut and held her breath. The Joker froze and gazed at her.

Why wasn't she trying to _do_ something?

"_Why me? You could choose to kill me without a moment's hesitation; I know you could, and yet you don't. Why?"_

"_You fascinate me. You amuuuuse me… You're…unpredictabl-ah…like __me__….. You know something, Samantha? I think…I like you too much."_

The Joker pushed his tongue against the inside of his front lip and glanced up at the ceiling with his eyes for a moment. He seemed to come to a decision and lowered the knife. Samantha slowly opened her eyes, confused. He jerked his head at the box.

"Are you gonna carry it?" he asked in the tone a parent would use when asking their child if he or she was going to behave.

Samantha nodded. The Joker grabbed her by the chin and pulled her face close so he could kiss her forehead.

"That's my girl," he said slyly.

Samantha moved away before he could get too touchy again.

She gritted her teeth as she picked up the box and shifted its weight around in her arms. He motioned for her to follow him out of the store house. She complied, but with obvious reluctance.

"Are you even trying to carry that thing?" he asked as they walked out the door.

She glared at him. "Want me to let go and find out?" she hissed.

The Joker sighed loudly.

"Samantha, Samantha, Samantha… you and that temper."

He dug the car keys out of his pants pocket and unlocked the trunk. He had her stash the cash in it and he slammed the trunk shut.

"We really need to work on your attitude," he told Samantha as he looked at her over the car's roof and opened the driver and passenger door.

"And we really need to work on your sense of style," she said with a dead pan expression.

The Joker's eyebrows shot up. She gave him a sarcastic smile and disappeared into the car. He waited a moment before climbing inside.

"_Did that little…Did she really just say that?" _he thought furiously.

He ducked into the car and angrily turned the key in the ignition.

"My sense of _style-ah _is fiiine," he growled.

Samantha scoffed. "If you say so."

The Joker slammed his foot on the accelerator, causing Samantha to be pushed back in her seat. The look of panic on her face made him burst out into a wild fit of laughter.

"Slow down!" she shouted.

The Joker laughed louder.

"Just because you don't care whether you live or die doesn't mean everyone else has a death wish!"

Without thinking of the consequences, she slapped him in the back of the head. The Joker slammed on the breaks, put the car in park, and turned his whole body around to face Samantha. He pulled out his knife and gripped the back of her neck; she'd probably have some nasty bruises there later on. The look on the Joker's face said that he was fed up.

"Alright now, there's going to be a few _chan-gesss_ in this relationshi_p-ah_ and it's starting right now."

He moved to her seat and straddled her while holding the knife dangerously close to her neck.

"In case you haven't noticed, Samantha, I've been trying to give you a chance to, uh, warm up to me and you've aaall but spit in my face. I'm not used to being sooo deprived of my little doses of chaos, but I thought that _may-be_ I should try getting you used to the idea of me being your husband first before you and I go out into the city and stir up some madness… But you. Are. Being. Sooo. _Stubborn. _I guess I'm going to have to handle this a little. Bit. Differently."

He shifted his weight on Samantha and moved his knees to be on the car seat, pinning her where she sat. Never before had Samantha felt more uncomfortable being so close to him.

"First thing that's going to change is the slapping. If you don't hit me, then I won't hit_ you_," he ground out the last word with clenched teeth.

"You've ruined my wedding and my life! What makes you think I'm going to listen to you?" Samantha shouted at him.

"But you still got married."

"Not to the man I loved!"

"Ha! There we go. You said _loved_, meaning you used to love him, but now you don't. Is it because your affections have been won over by someone else? Who might this dashing guy be, hm?"

Samantha clenched her teeth and drove her fist into his nose. The Joker fell to his side into the driver's seat, holding a hand over his nose. Samantha untangled herself from his legs and opened the door. She ran out and started running away from the vehicle and towards the boat, hoping she could lose him once she was inside.

The Joker sat up and touched the back of his hand to his nose to see how bad the damage was. No blood. He growled and climbed out of the car. His long legs helped to quickly gained on Samantha's lead.

"Samantha!" he yelled and tackled her to the pavement.

Samantha let out a scream as they fell together. The Joker flipped her onto her back and pinned her arms down, straddling her once again.

"You shouldn't have _dooone thaaat_," he sing-songed.

He noticed a red line was at the side of her throat. Apparently his knife had nicked her neck when they were in the car.

Samantha writhed around underneath him, trying to throw him off, but it only made him more annoyed. He clamped a hand on her chin and forced her to look him straight in the eye, bending over to be nose to nose.

"Be nice, or I will not be responsible for what happens next!"

Samantha thought about spitting in his face but the look in his eyes erased the idea completely. She stopped moving. The Joker waited a moment before he sat up and took a deep breath. He shook his knife blade at her like it was his index finger.

"Are you going to behave?" he asked.

Samantha was silent. He was practically smothering her, cutting off the air supply by sitting on top of her.

"Shake or nod your head if you can't speak."

She slowly nodded.

The Joker grinned and flipped his knife before putting it back in his coat pocket.

"That's my Esmeralda," he said with a satisfied sigh.

He stood up and pulled Samantha to her feet. The blood on her neck began to trickle down her skin. He reached out and gently touched the cut, wiping the blood away with his leather gloved thumb. He grabbed the back of her neck and massaged it with a little more force than was needed.

"No more funny business like this, right?"

Samantha nodded. "For now," she answered softly.

He wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked back to the car. He leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Good enough for me… I, uh, I wouldn't want you to start _boring_ me."

…

The Riddler leaned against the brick wall, looking over the rims of his green lensed sunglasses at the crowds of people passing by. They couldn't see him and that suited the Riddler just fine. That's why he had chosen this spot in between these two buildings to stand. It was overlooked by almost everyone, and if there was someone who decided to look, he could easily hide in the shadows.

After spending hours in his apartment hacking into the surveillance cameras that dotted every other city street to search for any sign of the Joker and Samantha, he found nothing. Not even a purple coat.

He had begun to get cabin fever in that cramped apartment of his and decided to step out and get some air. The sun was starting to sink low behind the city's sky scrapers and soon he wouldn't need the glasses. He was just about to turn and go when he saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye.

The Riddler immediately pressed his back against the wall and ducked out of sight behind a portion of the building that jutted out into the path. He turned his gaze to see a woman in a modernized harlequin costume backing into the path on the other side of him.

He raised an eyebrow and adjusted his sunglasses.

"_Well, well, well…what have we here?"_

He watched as she too, stuck to the shadows, oblivious to the fact that she was not alone.

"_Hm. 'It killed the cat. Simple as that. What could it be? It's curiosity.'" _

He moved away from the wall and stealthily made his way over towards her every time she looked in the opposite direction.

The Riddler cleared his throat. "Excuse me-,"

"AH!"

The woman jumped into the air and spun around, swinging her fist. He brought up his cane, successfully blocking her blow.

"Ouch!" the woman yelped and shook her hand as if it would get rid of the pain she felt.

She looked up at the Riddler and glared as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't ya know better than ta sneak up on a gal an' scare her silly?" she scolded.

The Riddler tipped his hat to her and gave a smile as he said, "I'm sorry I startled you, and I'll think again before sneaking up on a lady like you."

The woman's face softened when she heard the sound of his voice and when he said the word 'lady.'

She gave a shrug and shifted her weight to her left leg.

"No damage done."

She paused to study his costume.

"What are you doing in that weird get up?" she asked.

The Riddler raised his eyebrows.

"I could ask you the same thing."

A surprised look came across her face. She spun around.

"This is as normal to me as the hair on my head," she replied in a care free voice.

The Riddler leaned on his cane.

"Uh-huh…And who might I ask are you?"

The woman stopped spinning and opened her mouth to answer but changed her mind.

"Nuh-uh! You tell me first!" she demanded.

"The Riddler," he said, rolling the name out of his mouth and twirling his cane nimbly between his fingers.

Harley gave an excited gasp.

"Are you a new super villain like Mistah J? We could start a club; an Anti-Batman club!"

He held a hand up to stop her from going any further.

"There will be no club joining for me."

Harley gave him a playful nudge in the ribs with her elbow.

"Oh, starting off on your own, are ya? Just like Mistah J did."

"Who is this Mr. J you keep referring to?"

"He's my lovin' Puddin'; the Joker."

The Riddler froze and gripped his cane tightly. He smiled at Harley, his teeth pressed tightly together as he fought back a snarl.

"_Now we're getting somewhere."_

He unclenched his teeth.

"The Joker?" He forced himself to hide the hatred in his voice.

"Yeah; ya know 'im?"

"Oh, all too well; in fact, I've been searching for him. He's got something of mine and I want it back."

"Really?"

"You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

"Not the slightest clue," she replied as she began to walk past him.

He shot out his arm, the palm of his hand meeting the brick wall and effectively blocking Harley's path. She looked up at his masked face in surprise.

"Not a single idea?" he asked in a charming voice.

Harley felt uneasy as she ducked under his arm and backed away.

"I told you, I don't know."

"I'm so sick of people telling me that," the Riddler hissed while turning around to face her.

Harley jumped up to a fire escape ladder and clambered up the steps. She gazed down at him and cocked her head to the side.

"Well listen, when I see Mistah J again I'll tell 'im you're looking for him; okey-dokey?"

Without waiting for a reply she scrambled up to the roof of the building.

"Wait!" the Riddler called out.

"Bye!" Harley sang and disappeared from view.

The Riddler stood frozen for a moment before kicking a metal trash can over and letting out a frustrated growl. He picked up a small chunk of broken pavement and threw it at a rundown TV, shattering the screen. He glared at the TV, fists shaking, his heart hammering and his hate building.

He suddenly became still and fixed his golden brown eyes on the television screen. He glanced back at the crowd, then back at the TV.

His mouth curled up into a grin and he let himself chuckle at the idea that just came to him. He swung his cane and let it rest upon his shoulder as he pushed the brim of his hat low over his eyes.

"This is going to be fun," he said.

…

As the last of the sun's rays began to fade and the city was glowing with its lights, every TV and radio station was interrupted and began to broadcast the same program.

The Riddler was at the center of the screen, sitting comfortably in a chair. He held his question mark cane by the top and leaned toward the audience.

"Good evening Gotham City; if I may have your attention please? Of course it does not really matter considering I'm on every TV and radio channel, so you have no choice."

…

At Bruce Wayne's penthouse, Alfred had hurried to get his master and show him what was happening on the television. Now Bruce sat on his sofa, eyes glued to the screen, determined not to miss a single detail.

….

The Riddler put both hands on top of his cane and let his chin rest on them.

"Now, I have nothing against _most _of Gotham's citizens so this announcement is mostly for the police; the so-called 'protectors of Gotham', and the Dark Knight. If you're watching, Batman, and I'm pretty sure that you are, take a good long look," he promptly sat up and extended his arms out, "Look at all that you have accomplished. People think that you're doing good…but they're wrong. I think that you belong in Arkham. You are no help to the people who need you at the moment they do. I say it's time for some change. Let's do things a little differently around here. You're all probably thinking, 'why does this sound familiar? Didn't someone else say the same thing and post videos on GCN?' Well, in answer to those questions, yes and that brings me to the last person I wish to dedicate this announcement to. The Clown Prince of Crime…,"

….

Samantha watched as the Joker turned up the volume of the car radio and listened as he drove.

"**Yes, I mean you, Joker," he gave a chuckle. **

"**Listen to me, I've gotten so carried away I haven't introduced myself. I am the Riddler, and the Joker and Batman's new enemy." **

The Joker gave a quick scoffing laugh.

"Another one of those?" he chuckled.

Samantha shushed him and listened closely to the radio.

"_That voice… it can't be…"_

….

"**You took something of mine, Joker, and I want it back. This can be done peacefully or it can be difficult. I must warn you though; I will not stop until it's mine again." **

**He bent forward towards the screen again. **

"**And Batman… Stay. Out. Of. This. Joker, you can meet me at 8:00 tonight at…" The Riddler grinned. "Maybe I should tell you in a riddle so only you will show up and not some pesky bat. 'When I'm not, they call me new. But I'm old. Older than you. I'm mostly pale, I'm rarely blue. When I am, I'm magical too. What am I?'" **

**The Riddler tapped the top of his cane against his shoe. **

"**You have until 8. Better hurry." **

**The screen suddenly blinked out and showed only the white noise. Static could only be heard over the radio. A few seconds later, TV programs and radios were back onto their normal schedules. **

…

Bruce Wayne stood up from the couch and began to walk past Alfred.

"I suppose you'll be going out tonight then, Master Wayne?" he asked.

Bruce flashed him a thin smile.

"Don't wait up for me," he joked.

…

The Joker turned the radio back down and gave a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Samantha asked.

"Didn't you recognize the voice?"

"It could have been anyone," Samantha said, trying hard to convince herself she was wrong.

"You can't deny whose voice that was, Samantha. Dear, Eddie, has a very distinctive voice…like _me_."

Samantha couldn't argue with that. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

"How did this happen? How is it that every person I meet turns into a psychopath?"

The Joker glanced at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said._ Every_ person I meet turns into a psycho! Meet a guy in high school; turns into the Joker, talk to Harvey Dent at a party; end up being his nurse, he goes crazy and dies. Say 'hi' to a guy on the street, get engaged, turns into the Riddler! Then my best friend, Harleen Quinzel turns into Harley Quinn! Oh, and then there's Tommy Tetch who was my replacement on the night shift, and what happened? He works for you now! The rate that I'm going at, I wouldn't be one bit surprised if I've meet the Batman before he became Batman!"

The Joker raised an eyebrow at Samantha's rant but said nothing for the moment. About a minute later he spoke up.

"About that riddle…do you know the answer?"

He wet his lips and gave her a side-long glance.

Samantha took a soothing breath and mulled over the riddle before repeating it.

"When I'm not, they call me new. But I'm old. Older than you. I'm mostly pale, I'm rarely blue. When I am, I'm magical too….new, blue, pale…the moon!" she suddenly blurted out.

The Joker gave her a doubtful look.

"The moon? And, uh, how do you propose we meet him on the moon, hm?"

"No, no, no, no! Sometimes Edward's answers to riddles are riddles in themselves…"

She gave a small smile when she realized the meaning behind the riddle.

"What's another word for moon?" she asked.

"Uh…Luna?"

"Exactly; Club Luna. He knows we were there."

The Joker didn't look too pleased about that.

"That means somebody squealed," he growled.

He drummed his fingers on the wheel.

"What time is it?" he suddenly asked.

"7:05."

"Well, we're going to be a little early."

The Joker turned the car sharply and began to drive to the club.

**(Like I said, I'm sorry for the crappy chapter. I tried my best to make it more appealing, but it still sucks. Please review anyway and give me your thoughts on where this story may be going or anything. Just send me some reviews please! I promise the chapters WILL get better!)**


	10. Chapter 10

**(Sorry this took so long to update. I've had a busy week. Thanks XXXPsychobabyXXX for the fan art! i hope this chapter is to everyone's liking!)**

Chapter Ten

The Riddler was waiting at the Club Luna, standing at the bar. He was completely bored. The Club was closed that night; good thing too, cause he was sure that Clayton wouldn't have let him in if he found out who he was beneath the mask. The Riddler was the only one in the entire building. He sat on a bar stool close to the wall and leaned his back against it as he kicked up his feet on the bar's surface. _"Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored,"_ he thought with a sigh.

Twenty minutes went by. He took off his hat and placed it on top of his cane, twirling it around and around in little circles to make his hat spin. Nigma glanced down at his watch. "I wouldn't be surprised if that clown never figures out the riddle," he muttered. The sound of a door opening and closing reached his ears. He put his hat back on and turned his head in the direction of the noise. Sure enough, the Joker strutted into the room with Samantha by his side.

The Joker gave him a mocking smile. "Hello, Eddie," he greeted. The Riddler pointed the end of his staff at him. "Never call me that," he warned. He looked at Samantha and his face softened. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Samantha moved towards him. "Yeah, I'm fi-,"

She was cut off when the Joker snatched her back to him. "Nah-ah-ah! You're staying right here with me until I say you can go," he said playfully and licked his lips.

The Riddler glared at him and jumped down from his seat. "And who are you to make that decision?"

"Her _husband_."

Nigma balled his fists and started to step towards him. The Joker pushed Samantha aside, a big grin on his face. "Listen Eddie, I know you're aaall about rescuing the fair maiden, but I've got more than one reason to be putting an en_d-ah _to your life. The other reason is Batman. I can't have you taking Batsy away from me, then where would I get my kicks? No, no, no, no, no…I can't let that happen. And then there's Samantha…there is_**no**_ way… I will let you have her," the Joker smacked his lips, "she's mine."

Nigma grabbed the Joker by the collar and jerked him close. "You're not her husband; you stole her! I'm going to try being reasonable first. Have the marriage annulled and we can leave it at that and I'll leave Batman to you."

The Joker slapped his hands away. "Don't touch me! You'll wrinkle the suit." He let out a laugh and walked towards Samantha, ready to leave the sorry idiot behind. The Riddler clamped a hand on his shoulder. The Joker froze. "You shouldn't have done thaaat," he sing-songed. Nigma heard the metallic click of a switch blade opening and jumped back just as the Joker swung around and slashed at him with his blade.

Edward caught sight of Samantha hurrying over to them. "Don't you dare move, Samantha!" he warned. Samantha stopped in her tracks.

The Joker grinned at her then looked back at Edward. "Yeah…let the boys play."

Nigma suddenly swung his cane like a bat and landed a blow at the Joker's gut. He had the air knocked out of him and he doubled over. The Riddler grinned maliciously. "Oh you have no idea how much I've longed to do that," he said in a dark tone.

"Really?" The Joker yanked on the cane, causing Edward to lose his balance and stumble towards the wall directly behind the Joker. The Clown turned and kicked him squarely in the back, ramming him against the wall. Nigma clenched his teeth and ignored the pain as he immediately spun around to face his opponent. If there was one thing he needed to keep in mind about the Joker, it was to never turn his back on him in a fight.

The Joker rushed at him. Edward dropped into a roll to get out of the way and jumped to his feet, ready for the next move. The Joker changed direction and gave a growl as he lashed out with his knife. His arm was blocked by the Riddler's cane.

"Face it, Eddie, without that cane you wouldn't survive in a fight."

"I could say the same thing about you and your little knives. Oh, by the way, how are those injuries Batman gave you?"

The Joker glared and shoved the Riddler away while creating a rip on his green suit's sleeve. Edward regained his balance and glanced at his sleeve before looking back at the clown angrily. The Joker raised his eyebrows, faking shock.

Edward glanced over his shoulder to see Samantha and the expression that she wore… Absolute shock and dismay. _"How can this be Edward?"_ she kept thinking over and over in her head. She shook herself and frowned. _"Get a grip, girl! Find a phone and call the police!" _Samantha looked around her and spotted a payphone across the room. She looked back at the men in time to see the Joker slug Edward across the jaw and split his lip, causing blood to dribble down his chin. He quickly wiped the blood away with the back of his hand and charged at the Joker.

As Samantha quietly stole across the room to the phone, she couldn't help but realize that the Joker had more of an advantage in hand to hand combat considering he was slightly more muscular than thin Edward. Plus, she had seen the Joker fight Batman and this didn't seem like it would end well. She needed to make the call fast and then do something to help Edward. _"Hold onto that cane, Edward," _she thought. It could be his only chance of winning.

The Joker was shoved and fell with his back on top of a table. He groaned and winced. Nigma leaped over to him, bringing his cane down where the Joker's head was. He frowned and rolled off the table just as the cane made contact with the table, creating a loud cracking sound. The Joker howled with laughter when he caught sight of the look of extreme aggravation on his face. The Riddler lifted his foot and kicked the small table towards him. The Joker jumped out of the way and tripped over a chair, falling onto his back. Edward took his chance and pinned him by holding his cane across his throat. He pressed down on the staff; the Joker began to choke.

Samantha picked up the phone and started to dial but stopped when she didn't hear the dial tone. _"No, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening; come on! Work!" _But it remained silent. She slammed the phone down on the receiver in anger. _"Stupid piece of junk!"_

The Riddler rammed his fist into the Joker's face. The clown laughed every time he received the blow. "Stop laughing!" Edward yelled; but he didn't stop. The Joker's nose began to bleed and there was also some blood trickling down the corner of his mouth. If Samantha didn't do something soon…

The door flew open and a curvy figure stepped through. "Hey, Mistah J, are ya in here? I better have gotten that riddle right-!" She froze in place when she saw the two of them on the floor. They turned their heads to look at her, completely caught off guard.

"_Who the heck is that?" _Samantha thought when she saw Harley. It never occurred to her that it was Harleen Quinzel in the costume.

Harley did not notice Samantha; her attention was focused on the two men. A big grin broke out on her face. "Hey, you found Mistah J," she chirped happily. Harley paused as she took in their fight positions. "….Did I miss somethin' here?" she asked with a puzzled expression on her painted face.

The Joker took advantage of the distraction Harley presented and gripped Nigma's cane with both hands. Before Edward could figure out what was happening, the Joker lifted his feet up and pushed against his abdomen; using his opponent's weight, he flipped the Riddler over his head and sent him tumbling end over end until he crashed into the wall. His head was on the floor and his feet in the air; being supported by the wall behind him. He almost looked like he was trying to do a head stand. The Riddler's feet slowly slid down plopped to the floor, lifting his butt in the air. He was so turned around and dizzy that he stayed in that position for the moment. "Ouuuuch," he groaned. _"Note to self; find people to do the fighting for me…"_

The Joker let out a laugh and looked at the question mark cane he held in his hands. He gave a sigh. "Well…I have no use for this…sooo, I'll let you have it." The Joker held the cane tightly and got in a batter's stance as Edward slowly sat up and turned to face him, still very disoriented. "Sooo…Here. We. Go." He got ready to swing.

The sound of glass crashing from over-head caused everyone's head to turn. A figure in black rose from a crouching position on the ground. There was no mistaking who it was; Batman.

"Time to leave," the Joker said and dropped the cane beside Edward. He dashed over to Samantha and latched onto her arm. That's when Harley finally noticed that she wasn't the only female in the building.

"Sammy?"

Samantha's jaw dropped. _**"Harleen?"**_

The Joker jerked on Samantha's arm to make her start moving. "Move, Samantha! Harley, come on!" Harley glanced over her shoulder at Batman before running after them.

Unfortunately, Batman had not seen the Joker since he was focused on the first person he caught sight of when he jumped through the skylight, which had been Edward Nigma. He still hadn't learned to mind his surroundings. If he had, he would have seen the Joker, Harley, and Samantha exit the building; the Joker giving Edward a teasing wave before disappearing behind the door.

"You are so useless!" Edward yelled. "Instead of going after the Joker, you stay behind to fight _me_; a non-criminal!"

"The cops will go after him."

"The cops are fools and so are you if you think they can catch him."

"If I'm a fool than how did I know the answer to your riddle, _Edward Nigma_?"

The Riddler stiffened but then let himself smile. "Ah, do we actually have a brain underneath that mask?" He gave a mocking applause. "Well done; how did you manage to figure that out?"

"You gave too many hints. Anyone could have figured out who you were if they heard our conversation and knew about the Joker crashing your wedding." Batman took a step towards him. Nigma immediately moved into a defensive position. Batman froze. "I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to help you."

The Riddler laughed bitterly and felt a slight pain in his side; probably from his fight with the Joker. "Help me? Help me with what?" He fixed him with a hard glare.

"I want to help you not become the very thing you hate. You haven't committed any real crimes yet; quit while you still have the chance."

Nigma's eyes gleamed with a half-crazed sort of light. "Sorry; too late!" he growled and began to run to the back of the building. "Stay out of this, Batman!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"Nigma!" Batman ran after him just as Nigma pressed a button on his cane and a small circular portion popped out. Inside were tiny, metal balls. The Riddler laughed as he grabbed three and hurled them to the floor. Smoke issued out and soon swallowed him. Batman coughed and looked around for Nigma as the sound of his laugh echoed in the air. The smoke began to thin out and revealed no one but the Batman.

He heaved a heavy sigh. Now he had three costumed psychos running around Gotham.

…

The Joker and Harley ran to the car and jumped inside with a very reluctant Samantha. After the car refused to start, they got out the box of money from inside the trunk and headed toward a work van the Joker spotted nearby. He broke the driver's window and unlocked the door. "Harley, check the glove compartment for a spare key!" he ordered.

Harley did just as he said and pulled out the spare key. "Now what do I do with it?" she asked.

The Joker clenched his teeth in frustration as he clambered into the back of the van with Samantha. "Drive!"

"Right-o-roonie, Mistah J!" she sang. The Joker shuddered at the nickname.

"Mistah J?" Samantha repeated.

The Joker slowly turned his head in her direction. "No commen_t-ah_," he said, emphasizing his t.

The sounds of sirens were heard and Harley glanced in the rearview mirror. "Hold on everybody," she yelled and floored the accelerator. Samantha was pushed back since she wasn't wearing a seat belt. She craned her neck around to look out the rear window to see five police vehicles behind them. "Oh wonderful," she muttered.

The Joker cackled as he crawled over the seats. "Let's give them something to talk about!" He pulled out a gun and shoved Samantha out of his way.

"Speed bump!" Harley shouted. The van launched into the air four feet off the road and landed with a bone-jarring lurch. The lurch caused the Joker to pull the trigger and put a hole in the roof of the car.

"Harley!" he snapped.

"Sorry Puddin'," she squeaked.

"I know that you're trying to escape from the police, but could you at least have a _little_ caution!" Samantha shouted. The Joker unlatched the back window and started firing at the police cars' tires. The front car flipped and landed on its side, colliding with another squad car. Two pedestrian vehicles slammed into them. The Joker let out a howl of laughter and Harley giggled.

The three police vehicles left continued to follow. A cop leaned out the passenger window, holding a hand gun, and began to fire. "Oh, so ya wanna play? Come on!" the Joker taunted. A bullet ricocheted off the fender. The Joker sent a bullet towards the driver and took out the side view mirror. He gave a growl when he saw he missed his target. The cop fired again and Harley made the van swerve to the left.

Harley glanced in the rearview mirror at Samantha and saw her wedding ring. "Oh, by the way, Sammy, congratulations on your wedding with Edward," she said.

Samantha was about to correct her about who the groom had been but caught the glare the Joker shot in her direction. "Right now isn't exactly the best time to be congratulating me," she told her.

A bullet shattered the window next to Samantha and pain flared up in her right arm. She let out a cry and grasped at her arm. Blood began to trickle out between her fingers and down her hand. The Joker looked at Samantha and his eyes flashed.

"Samantha?" Harley called after hearing Samantha cry out.

"Keep driving, Harl!" The Joker ordered. He fired at the squad cars three more times and succeeded in hitting the cop in the chest. He turned to Samantha and pried her clenched hand off of her wounded arm.

"What's going on back there?" Harley asked warily.

"Nothing! Keep driving!" The Joker briefly examined Samantha's arm and then scrambled over to the box of money. He opened the box lid and dug around for a few seconds. He withdrew his hand, holding a grenade.

Samantha's eyes grew large. "There were grenades in there the whole time?" she shouted.

"Well, what do you think made the box so heavy?"

"Money!"

The Joker chuckled and took out the pin with his teeth. He threw it at the cops and a fireball erupted; the cops immediately swerved their cars to avoid the fiery vehicle and the path was blocked by it. The Joker slapped his knee and burst out into hysterics. Samantha loudly sucked in air through her teeth in pain from her wound.

Harley glanced in the rearview mirror and her blue eyes widened. "You've been shot!" she cried. Samantha briefly met her gaze in the mirror and squeezed them shut as the fiery sensation of pain assaulted her once again. "We've got to get her to a hospital!" Harley began to turn the van onto a street at the right.

The Joker leaped forward. "No!" He grabbed the wheel and spun it back on course. The van's tires squealed shrilly at the sudden change in motion.

"I…I don't understand," Harley stuttered, taking control of the wheel again but not changing direction.

"Think Harley! We can't go there! We have to take her to some place and tough it out there."

"She could bleed to death!"

"She's a nurse! She knows what to do; she'll tell us!"

Harley's bright blue eyes wavered for a moment. "Okay," she finally said.

The Joker climbed back over to Samantha and looked at her arm. He pulled out a purple bandanna from his coat pocket and moved to tie it around the wound, but paused to examine it more closely. "The bullet's still in," he said.

"Oh great," Samantha said through clenched teeth.

The Joker tied the bandanna around her wound and stared at her pained expression. "Where do I go?" Harley asked. "Hm?" the Joker mumbled as if shaking himself from a thought; he looked up at Harley.

"Our hide out; didn't you find one?"

"Uh…yeah," he lied.

"Where is it?"

"The…uh… the...carnival grounds."

"I don't know where that is."

The Joker sighed in irritation and put his hand on Samantha's shoulder for balance as he climbed over to the passenger seat, letting his hand linger on her for a second or two longer than necessary. She watched the two of them as the Joker told Harley which streets to take. She saw the way Harley would look at him adoringly, like he could do no wrong, and the infatuated lilt in her voice when she spoke to him. It would be completely hopeless for Samantha to try talking some sense into her. She probably wouldn't believe Samantha if she told her that she was married to the Joker; even if she showed her the ring. Harley was devoted heart and soul to the Joker. But Samantha had to at least try….

She winced as the van jolted and made her arm bang against the wall. "Harley, what are you doing with this guy? What happened to Harleen Quinzel?" She saw the Joker give a quick smirk out of the corner of her eye.

Harley beamed. "That was before I found out about his past; his reasons for why he is what he is. The world just doesn't understand him like I do, ain't that right, Puddin'?" Harley fondly tussled the Joker's messy green hair.

He gritted his teeth but kept smiling. "Right…Honey."

Samantha shook her head in disbelief. "How twisted has he made you; what lies did he feed you to turn you into this, Harley?"

The Joker barked out a laugh. "Oh Samantha, you just don't know how much Harley has helped me."

"Yeah, right out of Arkham. By the way, Harley, was he still with you the next day?"

"He left to go find us a hide out," Harley answered.

"Harley, he was-!"

The Joker quickly fixed his eyes on Samantha. She closed her mouth. He settled back into his seat, a smug look on his face. Samantha began to think of ways that she could convince Harley that her 'loving Puddin' wasn't all that he seemed to be. Maybe if she saw with her own eyes…? Samantha silently groaned with the realization of what she might have to do.

_Seduce the Joker? That will never work! _No, but maybe if she gave him the idea that she was giving in a little… if she played her cards right, maybe she could get him to slip up in front of Harley and then her eyes would be opened.

She couldn't help but wonder what Edward would think of her plan…. The very thought of him brought a new feeling of hurt to the pit of her stomach.

…

Edward Nigma burst into his apartment and began to throw things into various bags and boxes. Since Batman knew it was him as The Riddler, he knew that it wouldn't be too long before the dark knight came here. "How could I make it so obvious?" I pretty much said the exact same words on the announcement that I said to him in church! How could I be so stupid?"

As he packed some essentials, Little Riddle softly slide through his bedroom door and leapt onto the bed. He looked up at him with light green eyes and meowed. Nigma waved him away. "Not now, Riddle! I'm in a hurry!" The cat skulked away. "What am I going to do with that cat anyway?" The Riddler brought the bag out to the living room and darted back and forth, in and out of rooms, grabbing items that were important. The cat jumped onto the table next to the bag and continued to stare at him. "I can't take you with me," the Riddler told him.

He picked up his stuff and began to take trips of loading them in the car. When he came back for the last box, Little Riddle was still staring at him. He gave a pathetic meow and lowered his head. "No! And that's finale!"

…..

The Riddler drove his vehicle in silence as little Riddle sat in the passenger seat, purring loudly. He crawled into Nigma's lap and rubbed his head against Edward's chest. "Yeah, yeah, yeah; don't rub it in," he muttered. Little Riddle went back to his seat, curled up into a furry ball and went to sleep.

**(Send me some reviews my way! If my intro seems really short, it's because i'm about to leave to go perform in a musical, but i couldn't leave without updating for my wonderful readers! Please leave some reviews!)**


	11. Chapter 11

**(Helloooo everyone! It's me again, and I feel like I haven't updated in FOREVER. I hope that this chapter makes you happy. Thanks to those who wished me luck on the musical. It went very well, in fact people are still talking about it! Now I'm in the same musical for another group and might have long periods in between updates. Ah, the price of following your dream career choice! **

Chapter Eleven

Samantha began feeling light-headed as blood continued to slowly escape from her wounded arm. Her eyes were getting heavy; she wanted to close them. She laid her head against the car wall, ignoring the jolts from the vehicle as it sped through the streets. Samantha felt tired all of a sudden and her head was aching again. Blood was seeping through the bandanna the Joker had tied around her arm as Harley pulled the van into the carnival grounds. Gravel sprayed from the tires as Harley slammed her foot on the brakes.

The Joker barely waited for the van to stop before he hopped out of the passenger seat and made his way to the side door. He pulled it open and saw a slightly dis-oriented Samantha Reads sitting with her head propped up by the car wall. He reached out and helped her out of the van. The fact that she didn't give him any trouble told him how bad off she was. She gripped his arm and tried to stand on unsteady feet, but her legs gave way from underneath her. The Joker caught her before she fell and held her bridal-style.

Samantha was breathing heavily, her eyes fighting to stay open and be alert to what was happening. The Joker eased her to lean against the van as he closed the door. Harley jumped out of the van and hurried over to their side. Her eyes widened at the sight of the blood.

"Mistah J, she's still bleeding!"

"I'm aware of that."

"Puddin', I don't do so well around blood, I-!"

SLAP! At the sound, Samantha's eyes flew open to see Harley stumble back from the Joker; hand held to her cheek and astonishment written on her features. The Joker leered at Harley. "I reeeeeaally don't care right now, Haaarl_**eeeey**_; so suck it up and grab the box so I can get Samantha inside! You got that, _**sweetie**_?" he sneered sarcastically.

"Y, yes sir," Harley whimpered. She hurried to the back of the van to grab the box of money.

"You…didn't have to…hit her," Samantha managed to say. "_But maybe that will open her eyes?"_ Harley came skipping back like nothing had happened, grinning like an idiot as she carried the box. _"Or not."_

The Joker slipped his arms underneath Samantha and started carrying her again as they went to the main carnival building where it would hold the inside entertainment, police station (in case a child went missing), information offices, booths advertising small businesses, and craft making during the busy season. They broke a window open and went inside.

It was getting harder to keep her eyes open. "Samantha, hey…Wakey, wakey, Samantha…keep those eyes open," she heard the Joker say as he carried her over to an empty desk and set her down on top of it. "We need to get that bullet out and stop the bleeding, bu_t-ah_ we can't dooo that if you're taking a nap and unable to tell us what to do."

Samantha forced herself to focus. "First aid kit…there's gotta be one around here some…where…"

Harley dashed around the rooms, looking everywhere for one and finally found it. "I can help ya, Sammy," she offered. The Joker actually refrained from laughing at that, he was too occupied with Samantha at the moment.

"I know you want to help me, Harleen, but…," Samantha winced and took a deep breath as more pain hacked away at her nerves, "I need…someone to be calm right now, and you're squeamish around blood; which is why…the Joker's going to help me…"

The Joker's eyebrows lifted ever so slightly at her words. Harley bit her bottom lip as she mulled over what Samantha said. "Okay," she replied reluctantly.

Samantha knew this next part might be a little tricky. "I need you to go somewhere else for now while we go get the bullet."

"Wh, why?"

"Because he needs to concentrate and… he can't do that with you freaking out around him."

Harley looked at the Joker and then back at Samantha. "Right-o-roonie…" She shuffled out of the room and hesitantly closed the door behind her. _"Please be okay, Sammy girl." _

The Joker and Samantha stared at each other. He cocked his head to the side and gave her an amused smile. "My how the tables have turned, hm?" he said.

"Oh shut up and listen, would you?" Samantha said in a tired and frustrated voice. She lifted her uninjured arm and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. She let her hand fall limply to her stomach when she finished massaging her eyelids and sighed heavily.

"What do I do?" he asked.

Samantha undid the make-shift bandage. "Can you see the bullet?"

The Joker peered at the bullet wound and licked his lips. "Barely, but it's there."

"Okay, I need you to get some… sterilizing liquid, some sort of tool that could be used like tweezers or pliers …and one of your knives. Use the liquid to sterilize the tweezers, knife, and your hands."

She watched him choose which knife he'd use and then remove his dark purple leather gloves and wipe down his tools with the sterilizer. He seemed so intent on making sure his knife was clean, even though he probably never cared about that before. He held the knife up to the light to see if he had missed any spots. The blade glinted back sinisterly. Samantha swallowed hard.

The Joker rummaged around the first aid kit and made a clicking sound with his mouth. "It seems, uh, that the kit doesn't have anything to numb the pain," he informed her.

"Today's just my lucky day, isn't it?"

"Hm." He took a step towards her, holding the knife in a threatening manner out of habit.

"Harley's gonna try breaking the door down when she hears me scream."

The Joker put the tip of the tweezers into the wound and Samantha breathed in quickly through her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut. His bare hand grabbed her by the lower half of her arm to get a grip and she felt a slight shock jolt through her. It always happened when his skin touched hers.

The Joker paused and stared at her. A look of mischief came into his eyes. "I know a way to make you not scream," he said. He maneuvered the tweezers to grab hold of the bullet from both sides and readied himself to pull it out.

"Really; how?" Samantha asked, still with her eyes closed.

"Ooooh…just a little trick." He immediately bent over and locked his lips onto hers as he began to pull the bullet out. A scream lodged itself in Samantha's throat and fought to be heard but was stopped by his mouth covering her own. The pain was excruciating! It felt like hot iron pokers were stabbing her arm! Samantha's back involuntarily arched and her fists clenched into fists.

She was still in shock about the Joker kissing her though, that her mind was not completely focused on the pain. Did the man have no limits? If it wasn't for the fact that the Joker was pulling a bullet out of her arm, she would have pushed him away, maybe even kicked him. Speaking of which; how much longer was it going to take for that bullet to-

The bullet was out. The Joker pulled away and stared at her, inches from her face. He set the bloody knife, tweezers, and bullet down; his eyes never leaving hers. "Hello Esmeralda," he murmured with a slight chuckle and eased his scarred lips onto hers again. Samantha wanted to shove him off, but her good arm was pinned between him and her stomach and the other arm still felt as though it were on fire. She was also very weak. Samantha tried to turn her head away, but he roughly grabbed her by the chin and straightened her out. "No, no, no, no, don't do that-ah…"

"Puuuddiiiiin'!" Harley's voice rang out from behind the door. "Can I come in now?"

He was glad the door had no window to see inside the room. The Joker let his lips linger a moment longer, then stood straight and put his hands behind his back, facing the door. While he was turned, Samantha used the back of her hand to wipe away from her mouth any trace of the Joker's make-up and just **him **in general. "Come in, Harley," he called.

Harley burst into the room and ran to the desk to check on Samantha. "Are you okay?" she immediately asked.

"I'm fine," Samantha answered.

She watched him snatch up the bloody knife, tweezers, and the bullet. "Here, Harley, go clean these." He shoved them into her hands and she turned even paler than the white make-up on her face.

"B, but Mistah J-,"

"**Now!"**

"Okay, okay!" Harley ran off in search of a sink to clean off the tools…and perhaps vomit.

"_Poor Harley…Why did I think it was best for us to stop seeing each other?" _Samantha thought sadly as she sat up and eased off of the desk. Her vision suddenly began to swim and she groaned. She saw a sofa shoved up against the wall across the room and took a step towards it. Her legs turned to jelly and the room seemed to tilt and spin.

Samantha felt herself falling and then stop when someone's arms caught her. "Ah-tah-tah-tah; let's not do that," the Joker said playfully. He held her for a moment as she tried to get her bearings. Samantha leaned against him and closed her eyes, hoping that her vision would refocus when she opened them, but it didn't. He moved his right arm to be underneath her legs and hoisted her up bridal style. He carried her to the couch and laid Samantha down.

"We can't have you fainting on us now, can we?" he chuckled. He grabbed some bandages from the first aid kit and began to wrap it around her arm.

Samantha spent a few seconds in silence just watching his bare hands wrap the material around her wound. How many times had she seen him without his gloves? About as many times as she had seen him without his face paint. Sometimes she forgot that he actually he bare hands and a clean face; he was hardly ever without either covered.

His fingers brushed some strands of her hair away from her eyes and lightly trailed across her forehead. They curved around to cup chin and lift her head up to look at him. The look he gave her was one of those indescribable sorts. There was no possible way to figure out what he was thinking. "Don't get any ideas," Samantha told him.

The Joker grinned at her with a glint in his brown eyes. "Oooh, it's too late to say that."

"I swear Joker, if you try anything I will-!"

The Joker began to laugh. "Ha ha ha, heh heh… same old Samantha…_always_ defensive." He wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger and stared at it while pushing his tongue against the inside of his left cheek. "I'm just full of _ideas-ah_…"

Speaking of ideas; Samantha was beginning to wonder if her 'seduce the Joker' idea would even work? She was having serious doubt that he would even go for it; and that kiss earlier proved to her that he needed no provoking to do what he wanted to her.

Samantha's eyelids began to grow heavy and her vision blurred. She could still feel his fingers twisting

through her hair. A few seconds ticked by and she was half unconscious and half asleep. ….

The Riddler sat back on the make-shift chair he had made out of the boxes he brought and propped his feet up on a box. He gave a tired sigh and laid back his head. Little Riddle jumped into his lap and the Riddler absentmindedly stroked the cat. "It's not much of a place, but for being closed down it will have to do," he said. The cat purred and curled up into a little ball. Edward looked down at him. "Uh, sorry boy, but that's not gonna happen. Not with this suit." He picked up the cat and sat him down on the floor as he stood to his feet.

The Riddler gazed at the empty building and the boxes. He interlocked his fingers and popped his knuckles. "Time to get to work."

….

When she opened her eyes again, she found Harley standing over her. "Wakey, wakey! I got something for ya!"

Samantha winced. "Not so loud, Harleen."

"Harley; it's Harley from now on. Harleen just sounds like a dried up old lady." She handed her a glass of orange juice, thinking it would bring what little of blood sugar Samantha had left back up. Samantha didn't realize how weak she truly was until she found she could barely lift her arm to take the glass.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. How ya feelin', hon'?"

"The pain isn't as bad."

Harley bit her bottom lip. "I think we should take ya to the hospital, but Mistah J says no. He knows best, I guess."

Samantha glanced around to see the Joker wasn't in the room. Maybe she could try talking to Harley now that he wasn't around to stop her. She looked her in the eye. "And I'm sure that when he hit you it was for the best, right?"

Harley nervously wrapped her arms around her stomach and rubbed her left arm while looking down at the floor. "He only hit me because I was acting stupid."

"You're doing something stupid now by being his accomplice! Come on, Harley; you're smarter than this!"

"I'm not just his accomplice! I'm his girl now!"

"You're his pawn. He's playing you like a game."

"No, no; my Puddin' loves me! He does!"

"Then why am I here?"

"He loves me!" Harley gripped her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, teeth clenched.

"Harley, listen to me! He doesn't love you! Don't you remember me telling you that he could make you think anything; that he could get to people? Don't you see, that's what he did to you! He doesn't love you Harleen!"

"**SHUT UP!"**

Samantha was taken back by the outburst. Harley had never spoken to her like that before. Both women stared each other down in silence. Harley's chest was heaving in and out quickly. After a few seconds of silence passed, she spoke. "Drink yer juice, Sammy. I'll see you in the morning." She turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Samantha heard a click and she quickly shot up from the couch. The moment she did, she regretted it as a wave of dizziness hit her. She waited for the effects to pass before she went to the door and tried to turn the knob. Harley had locked her in!

Samantha felt as though she had been slapped across the face. She banged her fist against the door. "Harley!...Harley!" She suddenly felt dizzy again and headed back for the sofa. She laid her head down and groaned. "I'm starting to wish he did love you…" Samantha sighed and closed her eyes.

…

It was close to midnight when he had everything setup. He sat in front of his laptop and logged into GCN's website to see if he little 'announcement' had gotten much attention. He laughed when he saw all of the comments posted on the webpage. One person wrote, "It's constantly getting worse in Gotham! It's all because of Batman! Before he came, all we had to worry about was the mob. Now the criminals want to wear costumes and come up with new ways to drag this city down." Another comment said, "First it was the Scarecrow, then the Devil's right-hand man, the Joker; and now it's this Riddler guy; who knows what he'll do to Gotham? He might even be worse than the Joker!"

The Riddler raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Now there's an idea," he murmured with amusement. He clicked a video that was posted and rest his chin on his fist as he watched the new GCN reporter, Vicki Vale interview Dr. Arkham, Dr. Strange, Commissioner Gordon, the mayor, and a few citizens. Edward couldn't help but grin. He had everyone's attention alright.

He drummed his fingers on the surface of the table as he began to think. He needed to come up with better riddles; one's that only Samantha would know the answer to and not the Dark Knight_. That insolent twat. _

The Riddler gave a long yawn and stretched. Little Riddle leaped onto the table and rubbed his head against the laptop. "Okay, Little Riddle…" Edward ran a hand through his red hair and popped his neck. He pushed himself off of the chair and shuffled over to the mattress that had been left behind by the previous tenants. Edward eased onto the bed and grimaced from the soreness in his muscles. He just wasn't suited to fight like he had earlier that afternoon. He looked around at the abandoned apartment . _"I need to upgrade this place," _he thought.

Little Riddle hopped onto the mattress and gave a pathetic mew. Edward sighed and scratched him under the chin. "I know…I miss her too," he whispered.

…

It was three in the morning when Tommy Tetch was woken from his sleep by the phone ringing. He had sneaked back into his apartment the other day and stayed there. Now he was blindly searching for his phone. Tommy picked it up and pressed it to his ear. "Hello?" he mumbled.

"Sorry to wake you, Tommy Boy, but I'm in need of your services again,' a husky alto voice said on ther other end.

Tommy sat up in bed. "Huh?"

"Be down at the carnival grounds today at 10:00 am. Meet me in the funhouse."

"But-,"

"But what? Do you, do you have other things to do, hm?"

"Well ,yeah. There's my job at the hospital."

"Forget about your job there, Tommy Boy. Batman's probably found out where you live by now and where you work. You can't go back…aaand you can't stay. You work for _me_ now. Sooo, if you want to get pad…I suggest you keep our little, uh, appointment." There was a click and silence.

Tommy got off the phone and sighed. "Whatever you say, Boss." He looked at his clock and yawned. "I've got time." He laid his head back down and went to sleep.

…

Edward Nigma couldn't sleep. His mind was racing with ideas and wondering what was happening to Samantha at that moment. The worst thing he kept thinking of was if the Joker had defiled her. He would_** kill**_ that clown if he had! No; he'd kill him even if he hadn't!

Edward had probably had less than four hours of sleep. The Riddler ran his fingers through his hair and sat up from the mattress, putting his elbows on top of his knees as he sat at the edge of the bed. Little Riddle slept on. Edward frowned. "So glad that you're able to sleep," he grumbled. He reached out towards his cane and unconsciously began to twirl it around between his fingers. He was becoming quite the expert at cane handling. He dabbed at his lip with the back of his hand to find his cut had stopped bleeding. "Demented clown," he hissed, "I'll need to hire someone better suited to fight than I, but I'd need money wouldn't I? No thanks to _Boss_," he spat the word out with disdain, "He's no better than a sewer rat!"

The Riddler stood to his feet and gripped his cane tightly. "Something about that needs to change." He went to his laptop and started typing in 'Competitron.' He looked up the reports on how his game was selling. Its sale reports were beating every game being sold! He should have been swimming in money, but it all went to Boss!

He gritted his teeth and felt his face turn red. This was unacceptable! Edward typed in Boss's name and began to read up on his future victim. In his head he made a list of who he needed to take care of ; constructed to go from least important to the most. Boss, Batman, Joker.

The Riddler put a hand to his chin and stared at the computer screen. "Hmmmm…" he clicked on a link and saw that the company had given the rights to have his game turned into an attraction at the carnival grounds of Gotham!

"I gave no authorization for that!"

Sure, he was thrilled that his game was going to be made into an attraction, but it was _his _game, his idea, his to own, his to be paid for!

Edward stood up from his laptop and began to pace the floor. Pale moonlight filtered through the dirty window next to him, but it held an envious view of the city. He didn't notice it though; he was too wrapped up in his thoughts.

"What else will be taken from me? Samantha was taken, my job and my idea was taken from me; my life has been completely altered!" He raised his fist. "What else?" He drove his fist into the glass, watching it spider web around the impact. Little Riddle's head shot up and looked in his direction. The Riddler held his fist close to him as he watched blood slowly ooze from the cuts. He went to the sink and washed off the blood.

"I've had enough of that guy," he said to himself. Edward went and grabbed his cellphone and began to dial. Never mind that it was six am; he needed to deal with this guy. The phone rang four times before a muffled 'hello' was heard.

"Hello Boss," The Riddler replied in a cold tone.

There were a few seconds of silence. "Eddie?"

"I told you to never call me that."

"What do you want, _Eddie_," Boss asked carelessly.

"I want what's mine; the money, the credit, everything!"

"I told you, _Eddie_, you already have the credit."

"Oh really?" Nigma bit back sarcastically. He went over to the laptop and scrolled down to see Boss's picture plastered on the screen and his name posted as the creator of the game. "That's not what I'm seeing."

"Look, Eddie, is it my fault that my face is the one being seen?"

"You told the board I was stealing money and then you fired me!"

"Eddie, it's really late. Why don't we talk about this in, oh, say twenty or thirty years from now?"

"No. We are going to discuss this now; but not over the phone."

"Where do I find you?"

The Riddler chuckled. "Don't worry…I'll find you." He hung up the phone and walked out of the apartment a few hours later.

…

Tommy crawled out of bed and got ready to meet the Joker. He walked around the apartment like a zombie, trying to find his keys. "Where the-, where's my keys?" he whined. He found them underneath the coffee table and picked them up. "Clowns…Stupid…mask…crazy girlfriend…shot-gun wedding…calls me at three am…ugh," Tommy grumbled under his breath.

He shuffled out the door and headed for the street to his car. As he walked, he overheard people talking about the new costumed wack-job.

"Now we've got three crazies running around-,"

"Four. Don't forget the Batman."

"Man, this city sure is going down."

"I'm not taking anymore chances. I'm not going to wait around for another person to lose their mind and turn into a Joker, Scarecrow, or Riddler. I'm moving out of this city."

"This ain't no city no more; it's Hell."

"You got that right."

Tommy got into his car and sat there for a moment_. "Maybe I should move too?"_ he thought then shook his head. The Boss was counting on him. He couldn't let the Boss down. Tommy turned the key in the ignition and pulled away from the curb and towards the carnival grounds.

**(There you have it. I hope the long wait was worth it. If not, I'm sorry. I made a little poll on my profile on who should Samantha end up with, check it out! So, please review and answer the poll, I'd really appreciate it! I'll try working on the next chapter as soon as I can. And it will speed things along if I get alot of reviews!)**


	12. Chapter 12

**(It's here, the next chapter! First of all, thank you for the reviews and the votes. I just want to say that the poll will still be open until the ending of the story and you can still vote. I'm also encouraging anyone of my readers if they want to draw or come up with anything for my stories. And also, I want to wish To Be Half Of A Whole a happy birthday. Now for this chapter I had FunHouse by P!nk (the radio version) in mind when I was writing; I can't help but think of Samantha and the Joker when I hear this song. And also either Pretty Girl by Sugarcult or FaceDown by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus for Harley Quinn. I also want to know if any of you appreciate my music suggestions or if I should just stop?)**

Chapter Twelve

When Samantha awoke that morning, she was greeted by the sound of a woman singing for all she was worth in the next room. By Samantha's guess, it was Harley's voice.

"I hope ya don't mind, I hope ya don't mind that I-!"

"**I mind!" **the Joker's voice shouted in annoyance.

The singing instantly ceased. "Sorry, Puddin'."

Samantha stiffly got off the sofa she'd slept on and walked to the door. She tried to turn the knob but it was still locked. She rapped her knuckles against the door and the voices from the other side of it stopped. One set of footsteps made its way to her. The door was unlocked and swung open. "Good morning Samantha, please join us," the Joker said overly pleasant as he stood next to the door with his arm extended out.

Harley waved at her from where she sat on top of a dusty display counter. "How's your arm?" she asked.

Samantha glared and marched over to Harley. "What's up with locking me in?" she snapped, making Harley flinch.

The Joker slowly turned his head to look at Harley. "You locked her in?" he asked with an edge to his voice.

Harley giggled nervously. "Well sure; I thought that you'd do the same thing." He gave her a stare that told her he wouldn't have. "Heh, heh, heh," Harley laughed uneasily. She then began to try explaining herself to Samantha, but it wasn't working out very well; her sentences kept getting jumbled together.

The tension had increased dramatically since Samantha had woken up. The Joker eyed Samantha impatiently as Harley kept talking; he didn't understand what he was impatient for, he just felt really anxious. He wanted Harley gone, that much he did know. Harley was a problem; the girl could practically cut off his blood circulation by clinging to his arm. He didn't need her anymore now that he was out of Arkham, but even when he had ditched her, the woman had miraculously found him!

The Joker quickly flicked his tongue over his scars and caught Samantha's eye. As soon as he was sure he had her attention, he smirked and winked. She looked away and tried to focus on Harley but kept glancing back at him to find his eyes still trained on her. It unnerved Samantha to her very core when he stared at her like he was at that moment. So much so that she couldn't even make herself frown at him.

The Joker moved from where he stood and came up behind Harley. He grabbed her roughly by the back of the neck and slammed her down onto the counter; Samantha jumped and a gasp escaped from her throat at the sudden movement. The glass cracked from the impact but didn't completely shatter. Harley yelped and looked up at him as he hovered over her. From her point of view he looked like he was upside down, which would have been funny, but now was not the time to laugh.

"I suggest you stop taaalkin**g-ah** and. Shut. Your. Mouth. Ya got that? Next time, next time… **don't **assume you know what I'd dooo."

Samantha nervously wrapped her arms around her middle and tried to force some words to make their way out of her mouth. "Jo, Joker stop it."

The Joker snapped his head up to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "Why should I do that?" he asked testily.

Samantha couldn't think of an answer; she was still recovering from all the blood she had lost the night before. She felt unsteady on her feet and reached out with one hand to grasp the edge of the counter. The Joker touched the corner of his mouth with his tongue and seemed to be thinking. He glared down at Harley and gave her a sharp squeeze around the neck before releasing her. He traveled around the counter to Samantha and grabbed ahold of her unharmed shoulder. Samantha flinched and jerked away but he grabbed for it again, this time holding on with a death grip, and began to lead her back to the room with the sofa.

Harley carefully lifted herself off the cracked display counter and lightly touched the back of her head in response to the sharp pain she felt there. She drew away her hand to discover a little bit of blood on her fingertips. That was the second time she had done something stupid and the Joker had to punish her for it. That's all it was; punishment that she deserved. Harley hopped down from the counter and tip-toed over to the room the Joker and Samantha had disappeared into and stuck her head through the door's opening. The Joker had just helped Samantha back to the sofa and was looking at his pocket watch.

He glanced at the time and made a smacking sound with his mouth. "Well, I hate to run, but I have an appointment to keep," he said and turned to go. He caught Harley peeking in at them and that fierce look from earlier appeared on his face. Harley quickly withdrew herself and jumped back a few feet from the door as he strode out of the room.

"Where ya headin', Puddin'?" she asked in a squeak.

The Joker paused and grabbed her chin with his thumb and index finger. "Nothing that concerns you; 'kay sweetheart?" Harley practically melted from the touch; all abuse had completely left her memory. She gave a squeal of happiness and leaned forward towards him, her weight being supported by his hand. The Joker let go and she nearly fell face first onto the floor. He walked out of the building without a glance in her direction.

Harley skipped into the room Samantha occupied and sat herself on the sofa's arm at the woman's feet. She sighed as she brought up her right leg to rest on the sofa and interlocked her hands around it to keep her foot from slipping off. "What a guy, huh Sammy?" she cooed.

"Yeah, he's a keeper," Samantha replied with deep sarcasm.

….

Tommy pulled his car over behind the carousel and climbed out. He shivered as he glanced around the empty carnival. It was spooky here.

He spotted the large funhouse at the far side to his left and jogged over to it. There was a note taped to one of the candy red and royal blue striped poles at the entrance. It fluttered in the light breeze that wafted across the grounds. Tommy tore it off the pole and read the messily written message aloud. "Right this way…" He peeked inside the entrance and saw nothing but darkness. He swallowed nervously and took a step inside.

He'd gone no more than four feet when the funhouse suddenly came to life. Music played, gears turned, and a blast of cold wind slapped Tommy across the face. He yelped and jumped back, landing on a spinning floor disc which threw him off balance. He fell to the floor with a thud, hitting his chin hard. Tommy carefully picked himself up, rubbing his aching chin.

He walked forward and the floor once again moved from underneath him but in opposite directions. "Nyeah!" he yelled. He thrust his arms out to steady himself and grabbed hold of a post that was within reach. The room began to spin and Tommy realized he had only put himself on another spinning disk. The disk began to spin faster and faster until Tommy could no longer hold onto the post. His fingers slipped and he was thrown across the room. "It's the funhouse from Hell," he screeched.

The funhouse then stopped playing music and things became still; only the lights remained on. Tommy cautiously stood and walked down a hall lined with panels that would have squirted water at him if it was running. He came upon a flight of stairs that no doubt would have been moving up and down if the funhouse had decided to keep on with its tricks. He found himself in a maze of mirrors that was dimly lit with lights of various colors.

"Boss?" Tommy called out meekly. A few seconds passed in silence. "Boss?" he called out even more quietly. Tommy nearly jumped out of his skin when the sound of whistling drifted in the air. Tommy didn't recognize the tune to be anything he knew. It was a kind of circus like melody; and it also sounded like it was coming from in front of him. The Joker strolled from behind a mirror, whistling like a man without a care.

"Hey Boss!" Tommy greeted.

"Hello Tommy."

A hand clamped down onto his shoulder and Tommy whirled around to see the Joker_ behind_ him. Tommy looked back and forth at the Joker that was in front of him and the one who had a hold of his arm. He realized the one in front of him was just the Joker's reflection being bounced off of the lights and mirrors. "Sooo, you came? Smart boy," he remarked.

"Was it necessary to turn on the funhouse, Boss?" Tommy asked with a slight whine.

"I meant to only turn on the lights."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I give you my word."

"And what's that to me?"

"I'm a man of my word."

"Are you really?"

The Joker froze at the question. He wet his lips and reached into his coat pocket for his switchblade. "Let me tell you a _little_ story…about me being a man of my word…and how I got these scars."

Tommy saw the switchblade being brought into the open and he grew nervous. "Uh…that's not necessary-."

"Oh yes it is," the Joker cut him off. Tommy gulped and said nothing. "My parents were drunks and lowlifes. The _ooonly_ reason they were even married was because my father had knocked up mommy while they were in high school. They had my sister, and ten years later, they had_ meee_. They didn't want us though; no no no no. They didn't want us at _aaaaall-ah. _

"Sooo my sister is pretty much my mom and she works _all the time_ to support parents who didn't even _want _us!" he chewed the inside of his cheek for a tick and continued, "Sooo, one night, when I _waaaasss_ seven, my sister comes home from work to find our dear parents passed out from the liquor and me with a black eye and a bloody mouth. See, when _mommy_ and my _father_ got drunk…they liked to use whatever they could _find-ah_ as a _**punching bag**_. My sister had had enough. Sooo, she takes me away and we stay at a hotel. She couldn't stop crying, her mascara was all over her face, making her look like she had two black eyes…but she was smiling.

"I could never figure that out; why she smiled even when bad things happened? I finally ask her and she says, 'when you smile nothing can hurt you.' She made me promise her that _no matter what…_I'll keep on smiling. I promise her that I will.

"When I turned seventeen, I got a phone call…my sister's body had been found in an alley…she was stabbed to death. I tried to smile. **I really did try. **_**But I couldn't smile! **_I took out my pocket knife…and I _**made **_myself smile. I kept my promise and I'm still smiling." 

Tommy's jaw had dropped open and his eyes were wide. The Joker studied his expression. "Do you doubt me still?" he asked.

"Oh Boss, I, I, I'm sorry! I didn't know; I believe you! Your word is as good as gold to me!" Tommy sputtered.

The Joker smirked and motioned for Tommy to follow him. "Come on; we have a lot to do."

Tommy smiled and saluted. "Yes sir, Mister J!" The Joker froze and glared at him from over his shoulder. Tommy cringed. "Oops, okay, I got it; never call you that. No problem, Boss." The Joker sighed heavily and walked towards the maze of mirrors. "We're going in there?"

"Yeah; see me, walking into the maze? Now come on."

Tommy followed obediently. The Joker led him through the many twists and turns and deceptions of the maze until they came to an opening which turned out it was a slide. The Joker slid down landed right on his feet at the end. He was suddenly knocked off balance when Tommy flew out of the slide. The Joker growled and stood up quickly, turning to face Tommy who looked up at him from the ground. Tommy gave a weak smile. The Joker fixed his coat and began to brush the dirt off of his coat.

Tommy pushed himself up from the ground and hurriedly started to help him get the dust off the back of his coat. The Joker bore into him with a penetrating gaze and he immediately backed off. _"Rule number one: Don't call Boss Mister J. Rule number two: Don't mess with the suit," _Tommy thought. The Joker walked away and Tommy quickly caught up with him. "So Boss, got any plans?"

"Do I really look like a guy with a plan?"

Tommy was silent for a moment. "Uuuh.."

"Shut up."

"Yes sir!" Tommy saluted him even though his Boss's back was to him. The whole time they walked, Tommy thought about the Joker's scars. _"Now that is dedication!"_ he thought to himself. _"That is a man who lives by his word!" _He was led to the building and walked through the doors to find Harley standing in front of him. Tommy literally jumped back as he yelped, "You again!"

Harley frowned. "You!" she hissed.

"Tommy? Tommy was your appointment?" Samantha asked the Joker.

"Mh-hm," Tommy replied with a smile. "It's nice to see you again, Miss Reads."

"Mrs. Nigma now," Harley corrected.

"Actually it's Mrs. Jo- Ouch!" Tommy was cut off when the Joker smacked the back of his head.

"Come on, you've got a job to do."

Tommy rubbed the back of his head as he walked behind the Joker to a separate room with a desk. "What do you need me to do, Boss?"

The Joker plopped into a swivel chair and put his feet on top of the desk. : Mr. Nigma, as you know, _wasss_ Samantha's fiancé."

"Right."

"But since I, uh, _replaced _him, he's gooone…a little…," he raised his hand up close to the side of his face and twitched his fingers, "_craaazy._ Now he's going around and calling himself '_The Riddler'_," he said in a mocking tone.

Tommy's mouth sagged open. "That was him?"

The Joker's face twitched in irritation. "Pay attention."

"Sorry sir."

"Nigma is now saying that he's my enemy…he's about to find out that most of my enemies don't last long."

Tommy grinned. "So what are you gonna do?"

The Joker licked his lips as a smirk pulled at them. "Uh_ you_ are going to go to your cousin, uuuh, Jervis? And get him to find everything he can about Edward Nigma; and I mean _**everything**_."

"Sure Boss, whatever you say."

The Joker grinned evilly and sighed. "Good. Now," he made a shooing motion with both his hands, "get going." Tommy saluted and hurried out of the room. The Joker tilted his head back, shut his eyes, and got comfortable for the moment.

Harley burst through the door and hopped onto the desk, sitting on the corner. "So, what was that about?" she asked.

"Did Tommy say anything to you?" the Joker asked, looking at her through partially closed eyelids.

"No; the rat ran out before I could get ahold of him and get answers."

The Joker let a smile spread across his face. Harley took a moment to look him over and he knew she was checking him out. She leaned forward and laid on her stomach, her legs crossed at the ankle, and her feet in the air. Her fingers interlocked with each other and rest her chin on them. "Ya know, Puddin'," she purred, "we haven't exactly had some time alone since I sprung ya from Arkham."

The Joker slowly lifted an eyelid open. "Uh-huh…"

Harley reached out and touched his leg. "Don't you think that should change?" she asked coyly.

The Joker opened both eyes and lifted his head up to look at her. She had a flirtatious smile playing on her lips. He removed his feet from the top of the desk as he leaned in towards Harley and gently took hold of her chin. He moved his face close to hers and could practically feel the excitement radiating off of her when he smiled charmingly. "Yes, I do think that should change," he said in a low voice that could be taken as seductive. The smile suddenly vanished and his voice rose in volume with each word. "We shouldn't be alone together because there's a prisoner that needs to be watched!" He shoved Harley's face away and pushed her off the desk.

She fell onto the floor and grunted. Quickly, leaping to her feet she shielded herself for fear of another beating. "Sorry, Puddin'!" He got out of his chair and swiftly passed her by on his way out the door. Harley went with him.

He was surprised to find Samantha laying on the couch; not trying to escape. The Joker raised an eyebrow as he strolled over to her. "No escaping?" he asked teasingly.

Samantha raised an eyebrow at him as well. "With this arm; are you crazy?"

"No," he answered coldly.

Harley popped up by his side. "I, I didn't mean to leave her alone. I just wasn't thinking, is all," she stammered.

"No, you weren't." The Joker's tongue darted out along his bottom lip as he flashed her a dark glare. Harley slumped; even her hat seemed to wilt along with her. She looked like a little girl who was told there would be no presents for her on her birthday.

Samantha met Harley's eyes briefly before Harley looked away. _"I was being stupid again,"_ Harley kept thinking. She bit her lower lip, smudging her black lipstick, and held back the tears that threatened to spill. The Joker sneaked a wink at Samantha before returning to the office and closed the door.

"He sure is being rough on you," Samantha said.

Harley smiled uneasily. "He's just stressed, that's all."

Samantha opened her mouth to say otherwise but remembered the last time they had argued. "Yeah; that's probably it," she finally said.

Inside the office, the Joker sat hunched over at the desk, sketching out some ideas that were coming to his mind; but then he'd get sidetracked thinking of the Riddler and would start making little question marks on the paper and furiously scratching them out. The sound of his pencil against paper began to sound like a rhythm. _Scribble, scribble, scratch, scratch. Scribble, scribble, scratch, scratch. _ He took off his left glove to get a better grip on the pencil and paused to stare at his wedding ring. _"What was I thinking?"_ he thought to himself. He fiddled with it for a moment and jumped when the door opened and Harley stuck her head inside.

"Puddin', I was thinkin' I could take Samantha outside and let her stretch her legs a bit?"

The Joker hurriedly covered his left hand with his right and continued to have his back turned to her. "Go ahead," he grunted. Harley ducked back out the door and he let out a sigh. The Joker looked at the ring once again and wet his scarred lips. A wicked grin spread across his face. "Eat your heart out, Nigma; I got her first."

….

Inside an office at Compititron, it was dark. The blinds to the windows were closed tight, sealing off any sunlight or glow from the main room outside the office. Above the soft hum of phones ringing and the employees' voices answering, there were a set of footsteps heading in the direction of the office. They stopped in front of the door and keys jiggled in the lock. The door opened, outlining the profile of a man as he quickly stepped inside and shut the door behind him. The man didn't even bother to turn on the lights before he slightly lifted the blinds with his fingers and nervously peaked out at the main room. He gave a sigh of relief and let the blinds slide back into place.

"Riddle me this if you can, my pitiful man; 'This engulfing thing is strange indeed. The greater it grows, the less you see.' What is it?"

The man whirled around to face the direction the voice came from. He could make out the figure of a man sitting in his leather chair behind his polished wooden desk. "N, Nigma?" he stuttered.

Nigma stretched out an arm and a lamp clicked on. It cast a dim glow over the top of the desk and revealed Edward's chest, arms, and mouth; everything else was invisible in the shadows. Nigma made a loud buzzing sound. "Eeeenk! Wrong. The answer is 'darkness', and as to the name Nigma…," he leaned into the light, displaying his black mask, "I don't go by that name anymore." His golden brown eyes gleamed. "Hello Boss," he said with a voice dripping in sarcasm.

Boss' eyes opened wide and Nigma could have sworn he saw the man's mustache bristle. "_You're _the Riddler? You son of a-!"

"Nah-uh-uh; please no foul language. Let's be _gentlemen_ here," the Riddler said as he wagged a finger at him.

A vein seemed to pop out on Boss' forehead. "How did you get into my office?"

The Riddler smirked. "That's a riddle in itself."

"What do you want?"

"I've already told you."

"That's not gonna happen; get out of here."

The Riddler settled in the leather chair. "I think not. I'm quite comfortable here," he said. Boss clenched his teeth and rushed at him. Nigma's cane suddenly appeared in his hand and jabbed Boss in the chest. Boss was pushed back and he put a hand over the spot that had made contact with the cane. Edward stood from the desk but did not move from the spot. "Now listen to me carefully you vile, parasite infested, carcass." As he talked, Edward very inconspicuously pulled out a dart from his pocket. The point of the dart was covered by a cap, which he carefully removed without breaking eye contact. "Either you give me the money willingly, well, grudgingly; _or _I take the money my way and believe me…I'd take the first suggestion."

"I won't give you a penny!" Boss seethed.

The Riddler sighed in mock sadness. "How disappointing." He immediately flung the dart at Boss and the needle point penetrated his neck. Boss gave a silent cry of alarm and pulled out the dart. Edward walked over to him as Boss' vision became hazy and started to deceive him. He fell to his knees as three Riddlers knelt down to be eyelevel with him. "You should have gone with choice one," three voices said. Nigma chuckled darkly as Boss collapsed and passed out.

The Riddler swung his cane and let it rest on his shoulder blade as he rose to his feet. "You're finally going to get what you deserve, _Boss_." He gave another chuckle and got to work.

…

"_My baby may not be sweet, he ain't got much to say,  
But he loves me, loves me, loves me; I know that he loves me anyway,  
And maybe he don't dress fine, but I don't really mind," _Harley sang out as she skipped alongside of Samantha through the fairgrounds. Samantha stopped beside the tilt-a-whirl ride to rest and sat down. Harley did a little cartwheel and ended with a bow. Samantha attempted to smile, but found it hard to do. "Oh cheer up, Sammy; look at the bright side, we get to hang out together." Samantha couldn't help but let out a scoff. Harley shrugged. "So the circumstances aren't exactly what I'd like 'em to be, but hey, what is?" she asked cheerfully.

Samantha's eyes gazed out at a shape ahead of them. Her jaw dropped and she stood up. "Nooo, it can't be," she said to herself.

"What can't?" Samantha jogged away without answering. "Sammy!" Harley called as she followed. Samantha stopped in front of a large building of some sorts and Harley caught up behind her. "What is it?" she asked.

Samantha walked up to the golden lettering that was on the marble like stone wall and ran her fingers over it. "The Riddle of the Minotaur'; I can't believe it. His game was a success after all."

"Whose game?"

"Edward's game. This is based off of his maze game."

"A maze, huh?" Harley repeated. Samantha nodded and turned her head to glance back at Harley. She was staring at the entrance, lost in thought. A smile curled her lips as she looked over at Samantha. "I got an idea…and I think Mistah J will like it!"


	13. Chapter 13

**(I finally finished this chapter! Yea! I've had a very busy time these past three weeks; graduation, musical, my birthday, etc. To all you Joker and Samantha fans that are about to read this; I'm sorry to say that you will not see very much of them in this chapter. To all the Riddler fans; this is the chapter for you! I'm actually kinda proud of this chapter and the way I've written the Riddler's character. I've gotten a review about how there hasn't been much of a plot in the last few chapters; there actually has been, it's more like hints though and another one is going to present itself in this installment. I have a link on my profile to some fan art that XPsychoBabyDollX did for me on deviantart. Why don't ya go check it out?)**

Chapter Thirteen

The Joker strolled down the left passage leading away from the entrance and scanned the walls with his eyes. Harley and Samantha waited outside for him to return. He smacked his lips and pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. Minutes earlier, he had made a call to Tommy and told him to get the blueprints of the maze in addition to information about Edward Nigma. The Joker twisted his neck around to look at the girls and found Harley beaming at him while Samantha was leaning against the wall, tiredly. She didn't even know he was staring at her; her mind was occupied by something else. _"What are you thinking, Samantha Reads?" _he asked himself silently.

Turning on his heel, the Joker carelessly waltzed back to the women and motioned at the maze with one hand. "Harley, Harley, Harleeeeey… For _once,_ I gotta admit, you've had a good idea. Using this maze as a hideout might prove helpful."

He stopped in the middle of the entrance where Harley stood before him, slightly bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Really Puddin'?" she asked excitedly. The sound of a car pulling up interrupted her moment of attention; the Joker's gaze went from Harley's face to the source of the sound to see who it was. Harley's smile dimmed a bit but she too turned to look.

Tommy hopped out of his vehicle, clutching a manila folder in his hand. He rushed up to the Joker and placed it in his hands. "I got everything you asked for, Boss." He watched as the Joker flipped through the pages of the folder. The Joker's brown eyes would scan the information and move on to the next one in about five seconds, but there was one page that made him pause longer. His eyes slowly traveled up to look at Samantha and he gave a snicker. Samantha's curiosity was piqued at what made him give that reaction but he moved on to another page before she could ask.

He finally found what he was looking for and pulled out the blue prints of the maze. He pushed the folder against Tommy's chest with more force than was necessary. The Joker snapped his fingers at the girls for them to follow him. Harley skipped after the Joker. "Skip, skip, skip," she sang softly. The Joker turned his head to look at her over his shoulder and lifted an eyebrow. Harley made a 'zipping lips' motion and smiled. The Joker rolled his eyes and continued to walk, using the map as a guide.

She paused as he turned down a passage that had a sign reading 'danger.' "Uh…Mistah J?"

"What Harl?"

"Uh…are ya sure that's the right way to go?"

The Joker stopped and sighed heavily. He twisted his waist around to face her. He shook the map. "I'm following thisss, remember?"

"Are ya holding it right?"

The Joker stared at her silently before turning his whole body around and walking to her. "Harley…baby… do me a favorrr?"

Harley's eyes shone at the pet name. "Anything Puddin'," she nearly squeaked.

"Let _me _do the navigating and you be quiet."

"Okie-dokie!"

The Joker winced and turned back around to keep walking. Tommy walked beside Samantha and began to speak. "Yeah, Boss, this place is great for a hideout. The construction has been delayed for a bit until after the Charity Ball at The Glitz takes place."

"Charity Ball?" the Joker repeated as he glanced at the blueprints.

"Yeah, a lot of important people are gonna be there; including the heads of the company that's funding this maze attraction."

"Oh really? Important people?"

"Yes Boss, very important."

"Hm."

"Yeah; no one will find us in here, Boss, no one at-." They were just rounding a corner when the Joker stopped so suddenly that Harley, Tommy, and Samantha bumped into him.

The Joker's body went rigid as he extended an arm out and pointed his index finger. "What are you doing here?" the Joker asked in disbelief.

Samantha looked over the Joker's shoulder and saw Edward standing before them, looking just as shocked as the Joker. He wasn't alone; he had a half-conscious man's arm draped on his shoulder for support.

"What are you doing in my maze?" the Riddler shouted.

"I asked first," the Joker said childishly.

Strands of the Riddler's red hair fell across his face as he adjusted the man's weight. "I'm here to 'take care' of_ him_," he hissed, never breaking eye contact; but the moment Samantha stepped out from behind the Joker he broke it. Edward's face lost some of its harshness. "Samantha," he breathed.

"Edward, what are you going to do to him?" Samantha asked.

Harley blinked at the man in green and her eyes grew wide. "Edward? Sammy; _your_ Edward?"

"Yes Harleen, _my_ Edward." Samantha noted the slight twitch of the Joker's face when she said it.

Edward's mouth fell open. He pointed at Harley with his free hand. "That's_ Harleen_," he asked incredulously.

The Joker let out a string of wild laughter. "Well, since we're aaall reintroducin_g-ah _ourselves, don't you think you should tell us _your_ name, Edwaaard?" he said slyly.

The Riddler cocked an eyebrow at him suspiciously. He eased Boss to a sitting position against the wall and stood to his full height, glaring. He ran a hand through his hair to move it away from his face and revealed his eyes to be bright and dangerous. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

The Joker chuckled as he signaled for Tommy to come forward with the folder. "Does Samantha know who you _reeaally_ are?" he asked as the folder changed from Tommy's hands to the Joker's. Samantha shot the Joker a look. "That's right Samantha, Edward Nigma doesn't exist. There's nooo such person." Samantha turned her gaze back to Edward. The Joker turned the pages of the folder and stopped to pull out a sheet. He held it up for all to see. "Let's take a good look at this photo shall we? Notice the face looks the same, the first name is the same, but something's different. What is it? Oh I know; his last name!"

The Joker stood behind Samantha and put his face close to hers as he handed her the sheet of paper with a photo of Edward and information typed on it. "May I present to you, Edward _Nashton_, a criminal on the run and jewel thief extraordinaire," he announced, extending his arms out and waving them at Edward like a circus ringmaster.

The Riddler clenched his teeth. "Where did you get that?" he growled.

"I don't squeal on my informants," the Joker replied with a smirk.

"You lied to me?" Samantha asked with some difficulty.

Both men turned to face Samantha. Edward tried to come up with the words to say, but even he knew how hollow they would sound to her. "I…I was going to tell you-."

"Like you were going to tell your first fiancé? What her name? Lily, Rose; something flowery?" the Joker asked, cracking a little smile. He licked his lips and watched as everything seemed to fall into the open with devastating results.

Samantha's heart skipped three beats. "First fiancé?"

"Says here that he skipped out of town four days before the wedding because the cops were close to knowing the truth about him," the Joker informed her, flicking the paper she held with his middle finger.

"Stop it!" Edward shouted angrily. He looked back at Samantha to see such hurt written on her face. "Samantha, baby, I swear I was going to tell you and I promise I wasn't going to leave you after we would have gotten married!"

"_Would have?"_ Harley thought to herself. _"But I thought they…?"_

The Joker moved close behind Samantha and placed his head to one side of her face. "Kinda hard to believe those words isn't it?" he whispered. Samantha turned her head away and felt it hard to breath. _"All this time…_he's been lying to you,"he sing-songed, moving his head even closer to speak into her ear.

"Get away from her, clown!"

The Joker snaked an arm around Samantha's waist, much to Samantha and Harley's annoyance, and grinned madly at him. The Riddler quickly stepped forward and Tommy suddenly pulled out a hand gun from where he had tucked it under his shirt and held by his jeans waistband. He aimed it directly at Edward. The Joker looked over his shoulder at Tommy. "I thought a gun might come in handy," he explained.

The Joker cocked his head at an odd angle to stare at Edward. "Nice seeing you again, but we have to run." He grabbed Samantha by her good arm and began to run back to the entrance. Tommy kept his gun aimed in the Riddler's direction until they disappeared around the corner.

As soon as they were out of sight, Edward sprinted after them. "Joker!" The Clown Prince of Crime turned his head and flashed an insanely wicked grin at him, letting out wild peals of laughter. That infuriated Edward beyond belief and gave him the extra energy to keep running. He tried to turn to sharply down a path and his legs slide out from under him. He rammed his side into the stone wall and grimaced. The Riddler looked up to see them vanish from sight behind a wall.

He leapt to his feet, his side aching from every movement as he ran out into the open just in time to see the Joker give him a wave good-bye before climbing into Tommy's car. The vehicle sped off, kicking up dirt and gravel in its wake.

Edward collapsed to his knees, out of breath, and hung his head. "Useless, useless, useless, _**USELESS MAN!**_" he screamed. "I'm supposed to be brilliant but this…this…**clown** is making a fool out of me! And now he's trying to turn Samantha against me!" He lifted his face to the sky and screamed until his throat was sore. Oh if the Joker were in his grasp, he'd-! The Riddler turned to gaze at the maze behind him and stood up. He'd practice what he'd do to the Joker on the little, slimy, fungus inside that maze.

The Riddler's eyes gleamed as he walked towards the labyrinth. "Oh Boss is going to love this." He found Boss still unconscious and leaning against the wall like he left him. He pulled him to his feet and dragged Boss down the path. "Geez, you had to be heavy, didn't you?" he grunted. He kept dragging him until they came to the center of the maze. The Riddler let Boss fall to the ground and he stretched his back and arms. "This little attraction could use an upgrade…"

…

Boss slowly opened his eyes and found he didn't recognize his surroundings. He came up with a lurch as something stopped him from getting up. He looked down to see that he was strapped to a stone table; alone. Or so he thought. A metal statue of a Minotaur, with an ax raised above his head, was standing over Boss. He let his mouth hang open when he noticed it. "How long was I out," he wondered aloud.

The wall facing him on the left suddenly flickered and the Riddler's face showed up on the large screen. "Almost nine hours," he replied. His voice sounded very distorted as he spoke.

Boss gaped at the screen. "Look Eddie-," he squeaked.

"My name is not Eddie!"

"Nigma."

"That's not my name either."

"…Riddler?"

"Yes?"

Boss nervously wet his lips and gave a shaky laugh. "Riddler, we've gotten off on the wrong foot."

"Do you think so?" the Riddler asked with mock surprise.

Boss quickly nodded and tried to look cheerful. "Yeah; so what do ya say? Let me go and I'll split the earning's and the credit. 50/50."

"How about," Edward began lazily as he twirled the cane in a circle, "I get all the money and the credit? Even your job?"

"But-!" The cane froze. "Oh alright, you get it all! Let me go!" The Riddler chuckled sinisterly. "What's so funny?" Boss asked.

Nigma tried to stifle the chuckling and rubbed his eyes with his fingers, taking care not to move his mask very much. "You are, you pathetic little fool." He shifted in his seat to let his long legs dangle from the arm rest. "You make hollow promises, Boss. It would be much easier for me to get all of that if you were just…gone."

Boss paled at his words. "Riddler, please! I'll, I'll keep my word!" he yelped.

"Too late; but I'm going to give you a chance." Boss sighed with relief. Edward pointed his cane at him. "Don't get too happy," he snapped. "I'm going to release you from your bonds, **but**," he held up an index finger in the air, "your chance to live depends on how you play the game, only backwards. Instead of trying to make it to the center, you have to find your way out. Before you start thinking this will be easy, let me inform you of something. While you were resting, I upgraded this place. Some of the …obstacles you'll encounter will be far more dangerous than they were before I spruced them up." A glint appeared in his golden brown eyes as he pulled out a remote and pressed the button. The straps holding Boss down released him and he hurriedly got off the alter-like stone table.

"And so the game begins!" The Riddler pressed another button and the minotaur came to life with glowing red eyes. Gears began to turn as it lifted a foot and stepped towards Boss, ax glinting wickedly in its human hands. Boss caught a glimpse off a passage and sprinted for it. The screen next to the passage switched on and the Riddler waved at him. "You might want to run harder," he suggested, jerking his thumb over at the mechanical monster. "Oh, I forgot to mention; you'll have to solve a few riddles along the way."

Boss's face turned bright red. "Are you insane?" he yelled.

The Riddler smiled impishly as he shrugged his shoulders. His face suddenly switched expressions as though he remembered something. "Oh Boss?"

Boss was already through the passage. "What?" he hissed.

Another screen lit up to his left. "Duck."

"Duck?" Boss repeated and nearly lost his head as a blade shot out from the left wall and imbedded itself in the wall across from it. Boss landed face first on the floor and scrapped his chin. He let out a grunt and swore. Looking behind him he saw the minotaur was getting closer. Boss sprang up and kept running. He came upon the first of the multiple choice pathways and froze. There were five doorways!

Boss felt beads of sweat drip down his face as he stared at each of the openings. The Riddler's face appeared on the right wall, his chin resting in his hand and faking an expression of concern. "Which one, which one?" he mocked. Boss glanced over his shoulder, expecting the minotaur to show up at any second. "Let's make the decision easier." Four metal creatures emerged from the doors to the left, leaving the one on the far right as the only option.

Boss dashed inside just as a golden griffin shot a fireball out of its beak aimed at him. "Nigma! Riddler; please! Stop, I'll forget all of this, I won't press any charges if you stop this now!"

The Riddler sighed heavily and lazily looked at the top of his cane. "Riddle me this…'what is always too late?'" he asked calmly.

"Besides my secretary?" Boss mumbled bitterly under his breath.

"What was that?" Edward asked.

"I don't know!" Boss snapped and came to a dead end. The creatures were catching up, he could hear them! His breathing quickened and the sweating increased.

"Give me the answer and I'll give you a few more minutes to survive."

"I don't know the answer!"

"You truly are pathetic, aren't you? I'll give you a hint. What are you feeling right now?"

"Fear!"

The Riddler scoffed. "No! What do you feel about this situation; about what you've done to me?"

"…Regret?"

"Presto!" A wall slid open and Boss ran inside. As soon as he was through, the wall closed behind him, leaving Boss in complete darkness. He pressed his back against the cold wall and tried to catch his breath. The screen that suddenly turned on brightened the area around it.

"What now, Riddler?" Boss growled.

"Just follow the question marks."

"What question marks?"

"Why those of course," the Riddler pointed toward the floor just as green lights in the shape of question marks illuminated the ground. Boss saw that they disappeared around the corner. "Better get moving; I don't know if the wall will hold up against all those creatures," Edward advised. As if to prove his point, Boss felt the wall quiver from the machines' attempts to get through.

Boss hurriedly followed the lights. "I wonder if this is all a nightmare?" he asked himself aloud.

"Would you like to stay behind and find out?" Edward asked.

Boss frowned but kept going. He crawled out of a tunnel and saw a sign bolted to the wall ahead of him. When he was close enough to read it, he let out a groan. "Another riddle?" he muttered.

He flinched when a small section of the wall next to the sign flickered and the Riddler's image appeared. "Let's seeif you can figure this one out?" he taunted.

"I've had enough of this, Nigma!"

"Then you want to get it over with and die when you're so close?"

Boss paused and lifted an eyebrow. "I'm close to the end?"

"**Very** close. You just happened to luck out on choosing the right paths. Come on, just a few more riddles, turns, and obstacles."

Boss re-read the sign. "No legs have I to dance, no lungs have I to breathe, no life have I to live or die, and yet I do all three. What am I?" Two doors appeared on opposite sides of the sign. _"I'll never get use to this funhouse," _Boss thought.

"One door has the answer but is not the right way. The other holds the chance to keep living through the day." The Riddler chuckled at his off-the-top-of-his-head- rhyme.

Boss frowned. He knew the answer to the riddle; fire, but that last rhyme had confused him. "The answer is fire…but what's this about the right answer, wrong way stuff?"

"Open the wrong door and you'll be burned to a crisp; how does that sound?" the Riddler answered testily.

Boss thought about another little rhyme as he looked at the doors. "Left is right and right is wrong." He slowly stretched out his hand for the left door. He glanced at the Riddler's face to see if he could detect any reaction, but Nigma's face was stone. Boss took a deep breath and jerked open the door. …Nothing happened. He walked in and the door closed behind him. All that was in front was more passages.

As usual, a screen clicked on. "Good job. Now a few more turns and then you'll reach the end." Boss looked at the openings and took the second one. "Wrong way," the Riddler announced. A whirling noise was heard above Boss's head and he looked up to see a massive golden, metal hand flying through the air after him. His eyes widened and he spun around to go back the way he'd come.

"All aboard the hand of Fate," Nigma laughed. The Hand of Fate scooped Boss up and flew a few nches above the tops of the walls. It zoomed off to an area away from where Boss had been and dropped him down into another part of the maze.

Boss stood shaking with fear and looked around. "You said I was close!" Boss cried out.

A screen came to life behind him. "And now you're closer than ever. You are certainly one lucky man, Boss. All you have to do is walk through that passage and go around the corner. Then you'll come to the end." Boss scrutinized the Riddler's face. He couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or lying. He had no choice but to do as Nigma said. When he rounded the corner, he blanched. This was not the exit! He was back at the center of the labyrinth!

"What kind of trick is this?" Boss shouted.

This time the real Riddler showed up. He had his cane resting on his shoulder as he strolled over to Boss. "No trick; this is the end. The end of your life." He gave a chuckle.

Boss began to back away as Nigma came closer. "You…you lied," Boss stuttered meekly.

Nigma let the cane slide down to his side and gripped it tightly. "So did you," he said in a low voice. He lifted the cane and grinned evilly. "So long." He swung his cane with as much force as possible and heard the sickening crack of Boss' skull. Boss slumped to the ground and the Riddler kept beating him with his cane, ignoring the pleas of mercy being screamed out. Soon the sound of the cries died down, but the Riddler kept going. Blood suddenly splattered across his face and he stopped. Boss was dead.

"It's bittersweet and best served cold, an eye for an eye s what I've been told. What is it?" The Riddler took out a rag from his suit pocket and wiped the blood off his cane, "Revenge."

…

Samantha sat, knees drawn to her chest with both arms wrapped tightly around them, in the corner of an abandoned apartment in a tall sky scraper-like building somewhere in the city. Outside the sky had grown dark and building began to glow from the light of their windows, making Gotham look deceitfully beautiful. The Joker had left her in the corner for a good two hours; he was busy making calls and talking to Harley and Tommy. He seemed to have forgotten she was there and she wanted it to stay like that for as long as possible.

The Joker had taken Tommy aside and was discussing a little matter that had caught his interest. "So…what was this about the Charity Ball at the Glitz? When is it?" Their voices faded further away as they walked into a spare room and closed the door, leaving Harley and Samantha alone together. Harley was still a bit miffed from seeing the Joker wrap his arm around Samantha's waist back at the maze. She would be staring at Samantha, as if trying to see if she could discover something, and then immediately look away whenever Samantha would turn to glance at her.

Harley went to the kitchen bar counter and lifted herself to sit on it, crossing her legs at the ankles. "So…Edward's the Riddler?" she said, trying to start up a conversation and get some answers.

Samantha let out a held in breath as if she had been punched in the gut. "Harley, now is not the time I want to be talking about that subject!" She could still feel the sharp pain inside of her from discovering the truth about her fiancé. But the most hurting thing about finding it out was that it was **the Joker** who had told her. Not only told her but had shoved it in her face and kept rubbing the fresh wound with salt. He had taken such joy in her disappointment.

"_Edward, Edward, Edward…why? Why did you do this to yourself? Why did you lie?" _

A door opened and the Joker came out of the room with Tommy. He pointed at Harley and snapped his fingers. "Harley, get down and come here," the Joker ordered. Harley immediately scooted off the counter and hurried over. He put a hand on Tommy's shoulder and used his gloved index finger to point at the man's face. "Tommy here has been given instructions about a little job I want the two of you to do. You have to do what he says."

Harley looked at Tommy with indignation. "I have to do **what**?" The Joker glowered at her and she slowly replaced her indignation with a forced smile. "Th, that's nice, Puddin'."

"Get goin'," the Joker said, roughly shoving Tommy towards the door. Harley trudged after the man she believed to be a complete nit-wit and wondered why the Joker placed him in charge and didn't feel the need to tell her the plan? As soon as the door had closed behind them, the Joker spun on his heel and made Samantha the object of his stare. If she had been watching, she would have seen him adjust his tie before slowly walking to her. She didn't realize he was coming until she saw a purple blur from the corner of her eye ease down to sit beside her.

Samantha flinched at his sudden appearance but tried to look uncaring. She looked away so she wouldn't have to face him. "I, uh, I sent Harley and tommy out to get some suppliesss…sooo it's just you and _**meee**_," he teased. The Joker raised his right eyebrow when she didn't react to his words. Her arms were still holding her drawn in legs close to her chest as if protecting herself from him. He couldn't remember Samantha ever pulling this move on him before. He slid a bit closer to her.

"You…have finally succeeded in ruining my life," she said quietly.

"Ruining," the Joker asked with feigned surprise, "You should be _thanking_ me."

Samantha finally turned her head and gazed at him with eyes that were filled with outrage and confusion. "**Thanking you**?"

The Joker reached out and wrapped a strand of her blond hair around his finger. Samantha noticed this was becoming a habit for him just as much as licking his lips. "For revealing to you who your **precious** Edward **really** was; for stopping you before you made the mistake of spending _the rest of your life with a liar,"_ he said sing-songing the last bit.

Samantha scoffed as she tugged her hair free from his hand. "And you're no different?" she asked sharply.

"I've never lied to you." Samantha became quiet and he took that as a sign to keep going. He moved around to be in front of her, looking directly into those green eyes of hers. "Think about it…can you remember any time that I told you an outright lie...hm?" He flicked his tongue over his scars and moved even closer. "You know, you know the thing about lies? They eat. A. Person. Up. See, you tell one lie," he held up a finger, "and you have to tell another to cover up that one, and then another," his hand made a cycling motion, "and another, and another until there's nothing left in a person…only lies. If a guy tells a city he's going to blow up something, how are they going to take him _serious-ly_ if aaall he does is lie about what he's gonna do?"

The Joker took her by the hands and moved close to her face. "The thing that gets me the most isss…he didn't seem to have a problem lying to you. That seems a little…cold." His nose nearly touched Samantha's as he inched closer.

She pressed herself against the wall, trying to get a regain those inches of space between the two of them. "He's better than you," Samantha insisted.

"Oh sure, dear Eddie's a saint compared to me, right? But if I remember correctly, just before we left dear Eddie, he seemed like he was about to knock off his boss," the Joker reminded her. Samantha found she couldn't deny that. "Sooo how is he better than me, hm? He's a criminal and not only that, but a _named _criminal; like a villain, like** me**," he pointed out.

He moved his face even further into Samantha's personal space bubble. She couldn't back away any more since she was sitting in a corner. She mentally kicked herself for letting herself fall into that trap. Samantha looked away. "Hey, look at me," he hissed, grabbing her by the chin. "What's it gonna take, hm?" The Joker licked his lips and put both hands on the sides of her face. Samantha began to panic as she tried to shove him off and his grip never let up. "What's it gonna take for you to see that I'm no_**t-ah that bad-ah**_?"

"Let go!" Samantha began to struggle and winced when her wounded arm felt like it was on fire by the movement.

"You definitely keep me on my toes, that's for sure. You've got me guessing too. One minute you're yelling at me and fighting me, and then the next minute you're letting me kiss you."

"I didn't let you!"

"Oh you didn't? Are you sure? Ha ha ha! You know, the key to a healthy, long-lasting marriage is for the couple to talk about hooow they feel and not hide anything from each other and aaall sorts of other garbage. Sooo what are you hiding, huh?" He stood up, bringing Samantha to her feet as well. The Joker pressed against her and Samantha's heartbeat increased rapidly. She felt like she couldn't breathe; he was too close, way too close! The Joker could see how uncomfortable he was making her and grinned mischievously.

Samantha slugged him in the gut with her good arm and he doubled over, laughing hysterically. She slipped past the Joker and ran as far from him as possible in the room. She spotted the door out of the corner of her eye and hurried to it. The Joker stood still, watching her. Samantha immediately stopped running and stared at him. "You locked the door, didn't you?"

The Joker grinned slyly. "Now you're catching on." Samantha sighed and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. The Joker chuckled and moseyed over to her, slipping both arms around her waist. "Samantha, Samantha, Samantha; always running…one day you'll run _to _me."

"You're right." The Joker lifted an eyebrow and twirled her around to face him. "I will run to you…with a knife in my hand."

The Joker let out a wild cackle at her threat and buried his face into her hair to muffle the noise; after all, the building wasn't completely devoid of other people. He felt Samantha trying to escape from his arms, as always. "You wouldn't be able to do it; I can tell. You wouldn't have the guts." Samantha knew he was right.

She succeeded in wrenching herself away and almost yelped when his hand clamped around her good arm. She looked up at his face; he was smiling, but she knew that didn't mean anything good. "What did I tell you before? We need to work on your attitude," he said with a slight growl.

"It never seemed to bother you before," Samantha snapped.

The Joker slowly ran his tongue along his bottom lip and his smile turned into a dangerous grin. "Samantha…I'm like nitroglycerine; shove me around enough…and I just might _explode_." His grip on her arm was becoming unbearable. Just when she thought she would cry out in pain, he released her. She found out why; a cellphone was ringing in his pocket. He dug it out and put the device to his ear. "What is it Tommy?"

"Boss, we went to get those supplies like you said and then the Batman sprang on us! He's got Harley and he took her to the MCU!"

"Do you have the chemicals?"

"Yeah, I got them. Boss, what do we do about Harley?"

"Harley can take care of herself."

"But Boss-?"

"Just get here with those supplies," the Joker ordered and hung up. He turned to Samantha. She had that curious expression on her face that he liked seeing. "Batsy captured Harley," he explained to her.

"What are you gonna do?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"You're not worried she won't tell Batman where you're hiding?"

"Ha! Harley's so in love with me she wouldn't tell him or the police anything, even if they put her through inhuman torture." He dropped the cellphone back into his pants pocket.

"So you're just going to leave her?"

"Mh-hm. She was in the way, anyways," he muttered.

"In the way of what?" Samantha asked without thinking. The Joker raised an eyebrow as he stared at her with a meaningful grin.

Fifteen minutes later, Tommy knocked on the door and was let in by the Joker. He helped Tommy unload a box of chemicals onto the kitchen counter. The Joker held up a deep green bottle with a skull and cross bones symbol on it and gave Samantha a grin. "Hey, Samantha, want a cocktail?" he asked. Samantha scrunched up her nose and slightly stuck out her tongue in disgust, causing the Joker to laugh.

"_What is he up to?"_ she wondered.

**(I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you didn't…well I tried. Please leave me some reviews; I'd really appreciate it! Much love! Until next times chapter!)**


	14. Chapter 14

**(Well my dearest readers, I have some news for you; I'm in another musical. That's good news for me, bad news for you because that means I'll have less time to work on my story. The original content of this chapter did not hold a lot of material that I still liked, so I've done a major rewrite in this segment. There are still a few ideas I kept in this chapter because I thought it would be a crime not to share. I really hope you like this next chapter. The Joker and Samantha are about to get into another fight! Yes, I know they fight all the time, but that's more like bickering; this time it's about to get a bit more physical…Did that spark your interest?)**

Chapter Fourteen

As the Joker and Tommy went through the supplies, Samantha couldn't help but want to get a closer look. She moved off of the couch and cautiously walked over to peer inside one of the boxes. Whatever was inside was being obscured by one of the flaps of the cardboard box. She lifted it ever so slightly before a purple gloved hand came slamming down onto her own hand, closing the lid. Samantha jumped and looked up to see the Joker wagging a finger at her. "Ah-ta-ta-ta-tah; no peeking." Samantha snatched her hand away and backed off.

The Joker reached to grab a small, thin, white, cardboard box that was lying on the green kitchen counter and held it out to her. "_This_ on the other hand, you _can_ look at." Samantha stood still, looking at the box, suspiciously. The Joker rolled his brown eyes and heaved a sigh. "It's not gonna hurt youuu."

"What is it?"

"Open it up and, uh, find out."

"Not until you tell me what it is."

The Joker narrowed an eye at her and chewed on the inside of his cheek. "You don't like surprises do you?" he asked with a hint of frustration.

"Not when they're from you."

The Joker rolled his head around with the motion of rolling his eyes and tossed her the box. Samantha caught it, but didn't open it. "They're clothes. I fig_urrr_ed you'd be _tir_ed of sleeping in jeans," he explained as if it were obvious. Samantha eyed the box and headed for the couch to sit down. The cushions sank a bit from under her weight and she stared at the box for a few more seconds before finally lifting the lid. There was some white gift tissue paper covering the clothes, like it had been bought from a store…or stolen was more like it.

She removed the paper and found a purple, V-necked tank top. Its hemline looked about an inch or two too short to cover her waist completely. She looked under the tank top to see the striped purple and white pajama bottoms were almost like boxer shorts. The problem with these shorts was that they were **too short!** They barely covered two inches of the thigh! Samantha snapped her head around in the Joker's direction and saw he was standing next to the couch. "Do you really expect me to climb into bed with you, wearing _this,"_ she exclaimed angrily.

The Joker cocked his head to the side and grinned like the Devil. "If you don't miiind," he purred.

Samantha let out an unladylike scoff as she stood and hurled the box at him. "I mind!"

The Joker snarled and lunged. Samantha leapt back but forgot about the couch being behind her. The back of her legs collided with the armrest and she fell backwards onto the couch, the Joker landing right on top of her. He brought out his knife and grabbed Samantha's injured arm. The knife hovered over her wound threateningly. "What's this I see; an attitude? I thought we had already had this disc_uuussionnn beforrree?"_ Samantha tried to jerk her arm away but he kept a firm grip on it. "Oh, no, no, no, no sweetie; I told you before 'if you. Won't. Hit. Meee. Then _III_…won't hit you. But you've seem to have forgotten that; haven't you, sweetheart? Weeell, I'm just gonna have to remind ya…" The Joker's knife was lowered to Samantha's arm and its tip had just touched her skin when a crash was heard from the kitchen.

The Joker turned his head to see Tommy worrying over some glass he had broken. The Joker let out a growl and got off of the couch to go and tend to the mess Tommy had made. "I'm sorry, Boss; I'm sorry," Tommy blubbered. Samantha lost no time in removing her butt from the couch and began hurrying away to another room to barricade herself from the Joker's anger.

The Joker saw her and immediately changed course from Tommy to Samantha. He caught up with her and slammed her against the wall, grabbing both of her wrists and pinning them on both sides of her head. He tried to look her in the eye but she kept jerking her head around as she struggled. "Look at me," he ordered. Samantha continued to struggle against him.

He grabbed a fistful of Samantha's hair and pulled her head forward to face him. _**"LOOK! AT! ME!"**_ Samantha froze at the sound of his voice. It was like the angry scream of a demon. "Look me in the eye…," he growled dangerously. Samantha slowly lifted her eyes to look into his and found them to be black. She hated it when his eyes were black. It scared her when they were that color.

"I brought you a _gift_…and you're not even gonna say 'thank you'?"

"I'm not wearing that," Samantha said in a voice that sounded more like a whisper.

The Joker's tongue flicked over his scars and he chewed the inside of his cheek. "You're going to wear those clothes _tonight._ And if you dooon't…," he released one of her wrists to show her his knife. "Now…," he smacked his lips, "You go in that room," he pointed at the bedroom Samantha had chosen to use for protection, "and put those clothes on while I go see what type of mess Tommy Boy has made. By the time I get baaack, you better be wearing those pajamas."

He let go of her and she watched him get the box of clothes from off the floor. He shoved them into Samantha's hands and pushed her into the room, closing the door with a slam. She went to the bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

She couldn't keep doing this. Sooner or later her efforts of stalling the Joker's 'hopeful result of a Honeymoon Night' were going to fail; not because she was falling for him, but because he'd either rape her or her life would be on the line. She couldn't keep pushing his buttons.

Samantha set the box down on the bathroom counter and bent forward to rest her elbows on the surface. She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a shaky sigh. Her heart had been beating fast and she now tried to calm it down by breathing in and out slowly.

Each time he lost his temper with her he came closer to doing her great harm. The Joker hadn't been very abusive to her in the past, but he had never really been gentle with her either.

Touching her forehead to the cool surface of the counter, Samantha closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nose.

She wasn't about to let the Joker rule over her. Oh no; that would never happen. She'd die before she'd let him control her. But she'd have to try keeping ahead of him in any way that she could.

Samantha straightened her posture and gazed at her image in the mirror. "You want me to wear these, Joker? …Alright then; I'll wear them." She gave her reflection a devious smirk and opened up the box.

* * *

Tommy swept up the broken bits of glass into a pan and dumped it into a trash can. The sting of the blow his Boss had given him upside the head still felt fresh, but he said nothing. He'd actually broken the two glass containers on purpose. He'd seen the Joker on top of Samantha, holding his knife, and he couldn't think of any other way to distract his Boss from harming her; so he threw the glass onto the floor. He didn't think the Joker suspected anything, he just told him to go get two more containers in the morning.

He hoped Samantha would put on the pajamas so the Joker wouldn't get angry at her again. Tommy had no reason to wish Samantha ill; he had liked her well enough back at the hospital. She'd never treated him badly.

Tommy got down on his knees to inspect the floor and see if he had missed any pieces. The Joker's brown shoes came into his view and he followed them from the feet, to the legs, and on up to the clown's face. "Is that all of it," the Joker asked. Tommy nodded silently and the Joker turned on his heel towards the bedroom.

The Joker reached out and grasped the doorknob, only to find it wouldn't turn. "Are we going to have a repeat of our Honeymoon," the Joker asked with a chuckle. He didn't receive an answer. The Joker tried the knob one more time and gritted his teeth. "You knooow, Samantha, this is _reeeaaally_ starting to _**TICK ME OFF!" **_He backed up and started to kick the door relentlessly, sometimes heaving his entire body weight against it.

Tommy slowly hid behind the kitchen lower cabinets. _"This isn't making the Boss very happy."_

The door suddenly gave way and collapsed. The Joker stepped over it and walked into the room. "Honey, I'm hooome," he sang humorlessly. He saw Samantha lying in bed, above the sheets, with a look of utter surprise and fear on her face. She was still wearing her jeans and long sleeved shirt, but the pajamas were being worn over them. The Joker stared at her for a minute before bursting into a laughing fit. "Oh _yoooouuuu_," he wheezed.

Samantha watched him without cracking smile, but he could tell she wanted to. She really did though. Samantha did want to smile at the little switch she had pulled on him, but she knew that if she did smile it would be like pouring gasoline onto an already dangerous fire.

The sound of running feet turned their heads in the direction of the doorway. Tommy stood in the opening, looking down at the broken door. He turned his gaze to Samantha and the Joker. He was about to open his mouth to say something when the Joker cut him off. "Go to bed, Tommy."

"But, but Boss-."

"Go to bed like a good little boy, 'kay?"

Tommy frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm not a child."

The Joker craned his neck to glare over his shoulder. "Go. To. Bed."

Tommy sighed and turned to go, but paused. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Bed!" The Joker snapped. Tommy jumped and ran to his room. The Joker chuckled and faced Samantha as he sauntered over to the bed. He took off his gloves, coat, vest, shoes, and tie. The Joker pointed at her clothes. "Now, you know that's not what I meant," he said to her, sitting on the bed.

Samantha folded her arms. "I did what you told me to do. I put them on."

The Joker snickered and touched the hem of her left pants leg. "But ya gotta take _these_ off…"

"That's not what you said."

"Do you honestly want me to be _that specific-ah_ with the way I tell you to do something I want you to do?"

The mischievous glint in his eye made Samantha want to vomit. "No," she answered.

The Joker tilted his head toward the bathroom. "Then I suggest you go in there and get it right this time."

Samantha felt that it would be better to do as he said than to fight him again. She'd stalled long enough; he wouldn't be as lenient towards her if she didn't do what he said.

Samantha got off the bed and closed the bathroom door behind her. Her heart was pounding again. What was he going to do once she put on the outfit? What would happen? She didn't want to think about it, but it weighed heavily on her mind. _"Oh God,"_ she prayed, _"help me."_

* * *

The Joker silently chuckled and giggled to himself as he went back out of the room and used the kitchen sink to wash off his face paint. Once the last trace of make-up was gone, he went back inside the room and hopped on the bed. He propped up his pillow and interlocked his hands behind his head. The Joker grinned like the insane man he was as he shut his eyes, waiting on Samantha. He was going to give her a harder time tonight than on the night of their wedding.

The bathroom door opened a crack and he raised his head to look. Samantha stood nervously in the doorway, wearing the purple pajamas. She had one arm wrapped around her middle and the other clutching the uninjured shoulder of the opposite arm, trying to cover as much exposed skin as possible. Her legs were crossed as she leaned against the frame for support. The look on Samantha's face was one that he hadn't seen before. She was downright scared! It didn't seem possible, but she was!

When he threatened the lives of others in front of her, she'd glare; when it was her own life threatened, she'd face him with a sneer and an insult on her lips. But now those lips were being bitten to keep from trembling and she seemed to have a hard time looking him in the eye. He was making her very uncomfortable.

The Joker sat up, never taking his eyes off of her. He slowly licked his bottom lip, and grinned. "Oooooh, now we're talkin'," he said in a low voice. Samantha's eye widened and she took a step back into the bathroom. "Don't do that! Get over here." Samantha hesitated and slowly walked to her side of the bed, quickly covering herself with the sheets. The Joker giggled and ripped the covers away, making her flinch. "You think I'm going to leave you alone that easily, Samantha? You underestimate me."

"Oh geez, Joker, please just leave me alone!"

The Joker let loose a string of wild, high pitched laughter and moved closer to her. "I, ha, ha, ha, ha! I, I, I don't _want _to leave you alone," he gasped between laughs. "No, no, no, no, no, no, _**no**_. It's just not possible, Samantha. Not a chance. I think…in some _craaazy _way," he put his face close to hers and looked her in the eye, "we were meant to be together. Not in some sappy, lovey, dovey way but the kind where I think there's a curse between us. _Aaaa_ll those times when we kept," he grabbed her by the arm and shoved her down onto the mattress, "_running_ into each other… those were just too many times to be coincidences. Don't you think?" He was hovering over her now and the stark terror on Samantha's face was practically making him giddy. His body was trembling from holding back waves of hysterical laughter.

Samantha gulped and glanced up at the ceiling before forcing herself to look back into his eyes. "Joker…I'd really appreciate it if you'd get off of me right now," she asked with a tremor in her voice.

A wolfish grin spread along his scarred face and he inched closer. "Naaah, I think I'm having too much fun this way." He leaned in and put his mouth to her neck.

"Get off of me!" Samantha yelled, kicking her legs around to get away.

The Joker didn't move away; instead he straddled her and laughed into the crook of her neck. "You know…I've always wondered what it would take to make you _really_ fear me…now I know." Samantha brought up her arms to push him and he seized them. "It's just a question of how far_rr_ to go." The Joker stroked the thin line of bare waist with his thumb. "See, Samantha…I know how to push a person's buttons too."

A tentative knock was heard on the bedroom's door frame. "Uh, Boss-?" The Joker's arm shot out and flung a knife in the direction of the voice without giving any thought and it imbedded itself into the wood, close to an astonished Tommy's face.

The Joker slowly turned his head towards Tommy. "What do you want?" he hissed.

Tommy swallowed hard and tore his eyes away from the razor sharp blade that reflected his startled appearance back at him. "It, uh, it can wait till tomorrow," he squeaked. Tommy scampered off, relieved that the knife had missed his head.

The Joker let his head fall onto the pillow that Samantha was pressed against and groaned in aggravation. "Gnaaaah." Samantha held very still, afraid the slightest movement would set him off and he'd go back to harassing her again. He pushed off the bed and retrieved his knife from the door frame with a violent pull on its handle. He inspected the knife's blade and said, "You better get some sleep, Samantha. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day." Samantha gave a breathless sigh of relief and grabbed the covers, quickly wrapping herself in them.

The Joker got back in bed and slightly chuckled at the sight of her. _"Samantha, Samantha, Samantha…,"_ he thought,_ "You're definitely a curse on me." _The Joker got under the covers and decided to have one more laugh by pulling Samantha over and wrapping his arms around her. He could tell she didn't like it, but she was going to have to get used to the idea since he was her husband. "Good night, Esmeralda."

"You're never going to give up, are you?" she asked.

The Joker gave a twisted grin. "When have I been known to give up?"

"…I was afraid of that."

The Joker leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You should be."

* * *

Over at the MCU, Harley Quinn was handcuffed and sitting at a small table in the middle of an empty observatory room. She looked a mess. Her face paint was smeared, her blond hair was free of her hat and needed a good brush. Her hands were gloveless and splotched with white paint and ink from when the cops had taken her finger prints.

For the past hour she had been shouting at anyone who could hear her. "I got rights! I wanna lawyer! I wanna doctor! I wanna grilled cheese sandwich!" She fell silent when the metal door opened and Commissioner Gordon walked in, but he wasn't alone; Batman was with him. Harley pointed at them, making her handcuffs clink against each other. "Ya got no right to hold a lady in a place like this all alone and with nothing to do! There's not even tiles on the floor for me to count!"

"Harleen Quinzel?" Gordon asked in disbelief.

"It's Harley Quinn now, Mr. Commish."

"Where's the Joker?" Batman growled.

Harley stuck her nose up in the air. "Not telling." Batman clenched his teeth.

"What about the Riddler?" Gordon asked.

Harley shrugged her shoulders. "Last I saw of him was at the fairgrounds in that maze thingy."

"Maze thingy?" Gordon repeated.

"Yeah; the attraction based offa the Riddler's game that he made."

"What were those supplies the Joker told you to get?" Batman asked, steering the questions back to the Joker.

Harley folded her arms as best she could. "How should I know?"

"Quinn, if you cooperate with us, we could arrange for your prison sentence in Arkham to be reduced," Batman offered. Gordon shot him a look; they hadn't discussed that.

They were caught off guard when Harley suddenly began to laugh. "Oh the irony of it! A psychiatrist from Arkham ends up being the patient at Arkham!" Her pearly white teeth glistened in the light as she kept giggling.

Batman grabbed her by the shoulders. "Snap out of it!"

Harley jerked away. "Hands off, B-Man!"

"Don't you realize that lives are at stake when the Joker's loose?"

"I ain't rattin' out Mistah J! How can you expect me to betray my Puddin'?" She stuck out her bottom lip and pouted.

Gordon blinked at what he'd just heard. "Your…Puddin'?" He turned to the Dark Knight. "Is she serious?"

"She thinks he loves her," Batman explained.

"He does love me," Harley insisted.

"What do you find so attractive about that sadistic clown?" Gordon asked.

Harley leaned forward on the table and put her chin in her hands as she gave a dreamy sigh. "When I was a psychologist, I listened to everyone else's problems; no one asked about me. I had to be so _serious_ at work and couldn't have fun. But then Mistah J came along and asked _me_ how I was, listened to me, and made me laugh. He showed me how to have fun again."

Batman felt like slapping her. "Ah, so he's your knight in shining purple armor, huh?" Gordon asked with slight sarcasm heard in his tone.

Harley giggled. "Yeah."

"You're dirt to him," Gordon told her quickly.

"Huh?" Harley said at the sudden turn in conversation.

Batman joined in. "He'd turn you over if it meant he'd go free or had a lesser sentence."

"You're wrong."

"Am I?" Batman challenged. "What about Samantha Reads?"

"She's fine. Well, actually, she did get a little banged up during our escape from the cops. She got shot in the arm, but she's okay now."

"Is she with the Joker?"

"…Yeah."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Does what bother me?"

"The Joker kidnapped Samantha Reads, even though he's supposed to be in love with you."

"I know what you're tryin' tah say B-Man. My Puddin' isn't going for her anymore. He's got me; he doesn't want her anymore." She didn't look as confident as she sounded.

Gordon put his fingers to his eyes and rubbed them in frustration. "He's playing you, Miss. Quinzel."

Harley shook her head. "No."

"Wake up, Harleen," Batman told her sternly. "He had you pegged for hired help the moment you set foot in Arkham."

Harley sat up from the table and shook her head again. "No, no, no, no; you're wrong. He told me things. Secret things."

"What did he tell you?"

"It's called a secret for a reason."

"Did he tell you about the abusive father? Or how about the one where his wife left him? He gained a lot of sympathy with that one. Or did he tell you about the time his father took him to go ice skating?"

Gordon put out a hand to stop Batman. They saw the tears slowly trickling down her cheeks and splashing onto the table's surface. "The circus…he said it was the circus,' she said weakly, not looking either of them in the eyes.

"He's got a million stories, Harleen," Batman told her a little more gently.

Harleen's lower lip began to tremble and she bit down on it hard. She quickly wiped away the tears with her shackled hands and glared. "You're wrong! My Puddin' does love me! He does, he does, he does! He loves me!"

"He married her, Quinn."

Harley looked up at Batman and sniffed. "What?" she asked in a strained voice.

"The Joker marred Samantha."

Harley stared at him for a long time before giving a light giggle. "Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee! I know that's a lie! Samantha _hates_ the Joker."

"He forced her. It was either; marry him or everyone in the church would have died."

Harley was silent for a moment. When she spoke, she had to force her words out. "That…sounds more like her."

"She's wearing a wedding ring, but Edward's not. Have you seen the Joker's left hand without his glove?"

"…No."

Batman watched as Harley's lower lip began to tremble. "He…he lied?" she whimpered. Harley burst into tears and buried her face into her arms on the table.

Batman and Gordon looked at each other, uncertain about what to do. "Harley…do you know where the Joker is?" Gordon asked gently.

"I, I can't tell you. He'll…he'll kill me," Harley sobbed.

"We can put you under protection."

"He'll get me just like he got Lau."

Gordon winced at the memory of finding out the Joker had kidnapped Mr. Lau from the very building they were sitting in and had burned him alive. "Quinn, tell us where he is! People are in danger! _Samantha_ is in danger," Batman yelled.

"I can't," Harley wailed and flung her arms on the table, hiding her face in the folds of her arms.

Batman gave a frustrated growl and walked towards the door. "Where are you going?" Gordon asked.

"To the fairgrounds to find Nigma." He left the room, leaving Gordon with the wailing harlequin.

* * *

Batman pulled over to the carnival and parked close to the maze. He doubted the Riddler would still be there, but he needed to see what had happened inside. He pulled out the blue prints of the maze he had had Alfred print out for him and followed them to the center. What he found sickened him. It was the body of a man, but his head was completely…well, it was not a head anymore.

Batman willed himself to walk over to the body and go through the man's pockets to find anything that could identify him. He found a business card for Competitron and the name of its owner matched the body's driver license. He pressed the button on his earpiece and informed Gordon of where to find the body. "Any ideas of where to find the Riddler?" Gordon asked.

"None. It's going to be more difficult to track this one down. He's not as attention starved as the Joker. The Joker will show that scarred face of his soon, but the Riddler…I don't know; he's too knew for me to pin."

Gordon let out a sigh. "keep looking. I'll try everything I can on my side." They hung up and went on with their tasks.

* * *

The Riddler stood at the control panel of the maze, watching Batman on the screen. He felt his blood boiling. He pressed the loud speaker button and the wall in the maze turned on, showing his face. "Good evening Dark Knight," he greeted in a menacingly polite voice. Batman whirled around to face the screen. "Or should I say, "good night' due to the lateness of the hour."

"Nigma-."

"Please refrain from addressing me by that name."

"Riddler, where's the Joker and Samantha?"

The Riddler's eyes flickered from rage to sadness at the mention of Samantha. "I wish I knew," he said painfully. In an instant, the pained look was replaced by hatred. "That clown has to die, Batman! You must kill him!"

"I never kill."

"Make an exception! He's not like the other criminals; and he's done God only knows what to Samantha! He's probably turned her against me now." His golden brown irises burned with loathing. "It's because of you that he was able to marry her anyway."

"I tried but-."

"You had a gun pressed against your head, right…._Bruce_?" Batman felt as if the air had been knocked clean out of him. The Riddler sneered and chuckled as he stared at the open-mouthed man on his screen. "Don't look so surprised, Mr. Wayne."

"How did you know?"

"I'm _**the Riddler**_! It's my job to know the answer to every riddle there is known to man! But don't worry Bruce…I won't tell." He held a finger over his lips and smirked.

"Why?"

"What's the point if everyone knows the answer to a great riddle? Where's the fun? But I do want a little something in return…" The Riddler ran his index finger along the length of his cane nonchalantly.

"What do you want?"

"Collect all the money Competitron has earned from my game and bring it to me. And kill the clown." Batman clenched his teeth but didn't comment on the last part. "Meet me on the roof top of Puzzles Galore."

"When?"

The Riddler grinned and leaned back in his chair, pushing his derby low over his eyes. "I never wa, am always to be; No one ever saw me, Nor ever will and yet I am the confidence of all, To lve and breath on this terrestrial ball. What am I?"

"Tomorrow," Batman answered almost instantly.

The Riddler nearly leapt out of his seat. He pulled his hat back and his eyes bulged out of his head. Never had anyone answered his riddles so quickly; and that had been a tough one. The Riddler allowed himself a small grin. "Well, well, well, Batman. 'Hear this riddle, I pray. What god never sees, What the king seldom sees, And what we see every day. What is it?"

Batman narrowed his eyes at him. "An equal."

The Riddler applauded. "Perhaps I misjudged your intelligence. Meet me tomorrow night with the money." The mage on the wall turned to fuzz and winked out. Batman stood still in the center of the labyrinth, lost in his thoughts. He had prayed the day a criminal, let alone a villain, learned of his identity would never come, but here it was; and so soon! He slowly made his way to the batpod and jumped on. He needed to think of a plan.

* * *

The Riddler shut the door behind him and sluggishly walked into the living room of his hideout. Little Riddle came bounding out of whatever hiding place he had been and turned his head up to face Nigma. Edward continued to stare ahead, completely unaware of the feline gazing at him. Little Riddle let out an irritated meow and finally got his attention.

Edward shook himself and looked down at the animal. He bent down and scooped the cat into his arms. "Guess what I did today?" he asked in a hushed tone. Little Riddle purred and rubbed its head against his cheek. Nigma absent mindedly stroked him as he walked on to his room, laughing.

**(I hope you've been enjoying it so far. Ya wanna know how to let me know if ya have; Huh, huh, huh? Well, there's a pretty little button at the bottom of this paragraph that says 'Review'. That pretty little button has magic powers! No lie! ...Okay maybe a tiny lie. But it does have the ability to tell me what you thought of the chapter! So please leave a review for me and I promise to try finding time to type up the next chapter a soon as possible.)**


	15. Chapter 15

**(Hello everyone! Greetings from this side of the story! I'm back with another chapter for you! Just to let you know, I've recently gotten a YouTube channel called MyPurpleSkies518 that will have videos pertaining to my stories and letting you know what's going on while I'm trying to write and where I get my insanity from. So if you're interested, please go look that up! )**

Chapter Fifteen

She felt someone's eyes upon her, staring intensely. Samantha carefully cracked one eyelid open by a mere slit; her eyelashes nearly obscured her sight, but she could still make out the green vest and blueish shirt the Joker wore. He was standing at the foot of the bed, holding his purple coat in hand and with his vest, tie, shoes, and socks back on. The Joker was staring at her intently. He had his head cocked to the side as he observed her sleeping. His facial expression was hard to discern due to her squinting and the fact that it was just plain unreadable. He flung his purple coat onto his side of the bed and walked out of the room, leaving what he believed to be a sleeping Samantha.

Samantha wrinkled her brow in confusion. _"What was that about," _she wondered. Her eyelids began to feel heavy and she fell back asleep. When she opened them again, she saw that thin shafts of sunlight were filtering through the window blinds. Samantha eased out of bed and went to the bathroom to change clothes and check her reflection in the dirty mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair and paused in the middle of wiping sleep dust out of her eyes when a shape caught her attention. She turned around to see that someone had put up a sheet of black cloth over the open doorway to serve as a door and the broken one had been removed.

Walking towards the sheet, Samantha stuck her head through the opening and was slightly surprised to see the Joker standing bent over at a table surrounded by twelve men; some of whom had been at her 'wedding banquet.' A few held their clown masks and others held guns. The Joker was in the midst of talking with the men but paused to glance up and saw Samantha. "Company?" she asked him.

The Joker straightened his lean frame and grinned, waving an arm towards her. "Boys, say 'hello' to the 'missus'." A few said 'hi', but most gave a muttered reply.

The Joker looked Tommy in the eye and tilted his head slightly towards Samantha. Tommy nodded and went to her. "The Boss wanted me to watch you since he's gonna be busy today," he explained.

"I'm touched by his concern," Samantha replied sarcastically, aiming her annoyed look at the Joker. The Joker didn't even blink. Tommy led her to the kitchen as the Joker continued to talk to his recruits. Samantha strained to overhear what the Joker was saying but wasn't succeeding very well. "Don't you need to be in there," she asked Tommy.

Tommy shook his head. "Nah; the Boss already told me everything."

Samantha felt her stomach growl and couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. "Is there any food," she asked, placing a hand over her belly as if that would silence the sounds it was making.

Tommy pointed at a box of donuts on the counter. "One of the guys brought it with them." Samantha bit into one of the sweets and almost immediately felt the hunger begin to weaken. She chose to sit in a chair close to the window that opened out to the room the Joker and his thugs were now occupying. She could just barely make out what was being said. Samantha acted like she was interested in eating the donut in her hand so Tommy wouldn't get suspicious; not that she really was worried about that. The man was sweet but he didn't exactly have the best brain.

Samantha concentrated on the voices next door. The Joker was still speaking. "In three days… bombs in the ventilators… remote… grab the cash and jewelry if you want… if Batman shows up leave him to me."

Another voice loudly spoke up. "If you're not in this for the money then why are you doing this?"

"Because I can."

Samantha felt a shiver work its way up her spine at the Joker's simple explanation and she stopped listening to the conversation. She brushed the crumbs of donut icing off of her hands and tried to think. She had to get out of here; _**now**_. There was no more lying around and waiting for an opportunity, she'd have to make the opportunity happen. Samantha yawned and stretched. "You know, Tommy, I'm still a bit tired; I think I'm gonna go back to bed."

"I'll have to walk with you there."

Samantha gave an irritated sigh. "Fine, warden." Tommy led her back to the bedroom and she lay down on the bed until Tommy walked away from the black sheet door. Luckily for her, the sheet was thick and wasn't see through, but she'd have to worry about wind currents lifting the sheet in different directions and possibly revealing her actions. Samantha hurried to the window that was on the Joker's side of the bed and pulled away the curtains. She lifted the window open and stuck her head out to see that there was no fire escape.

Samantha let out a scoff, curling her lip in disbelief. "Besides this being a fire safety code violation, this is _really_ inconvenient," she thought to herself and clenched her teeth. Pulling her head back inside, she closed the window and turned around to fling herself onto the bed. She gazed up at the ceiling and rubbed her forehead as the familiar ache began to sneak up on her again. She let her arm drop out to the side where the Joker would sleep and her hand came in contact with fabric that had a different feel to it from the bed sheets. Her fingers rubbed the material against each other, trying to remember what it was before she lifted her upper body onto her elbows and looked. It was the Joker's coat.

Samantha stared at it for a few minutes and felt a smile spread across her face. She quickly snatched it up and leapt to her feet, shoving her arms into the coat's arms. She looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and groaned. "I'm gonna need some serious therapy after this is over." She tucked her blond hair inside the collar and went over to the substitute door. Using her index and middle finger, she slowly parted the sheet from the corner or the doorway and peeked out to see the Joker and Tommy heading in her direction. Her mind instantly began to come up with a plausible excuse to tell the Joker for why she was wearing his coat. Instead of going into her room they paused outside of Tommy's room, which was adjacent to hers, and whispered back and forth to each other. "Now, Tommy Boy, you and I need to have a …_little _talk … with one another."

"Why," Tommy asked nervously.

"Becauuuusse you play a _very_ important part and if I told you in front of them," the Joker jerked his head in the direction of the thugs, "they could get jealous."

Tommy held his head high with pride. "Really?"

"Ooooh, yes."

Tommy followed him into the room and the door closed behind them. Samantha heard the low murmur of their voices and deemed it safe to venture out. She took a deep breath and stepped out, slouching a bit as she walked to the front door. _"Walk like the Joker, walk like the Joker,"_ she kept thinking to herself. She expected to be stopped at any moment by the thugs. Her back was to them now, they couldn't see her face or make out her female form due to the coat that swallowed her whole, but if one of them looked up and saw her… if their glance was longer than three seconds then she would be busted.

Only two happened to glance up and see her leaving but thought nothing of it, except that the boss was stepping out for a moment. Samantha opened the door and calmly walked out. The very second the door closed behind her she sprinted down the hall. The end of the purple coat flapped behind her like a cape as she headed for the nearest exit sign. She saw an elevator out of the corner of her eye and hesitated. Should she risk taking one? No; she'd probably be able to get halfway towards the main floor by the time the elevator even arrived and opened its doors. Not to mention that someone else might get on with her and delay her escape. Samantha kept going to the stairs, that's when she remembered that she'd have to run down twenty-five flights of stairs.

Samantha hopped onto the stair rail and slid down until it curved for the next flight of steps on a new floor. Sometimes she'd hop over the rail and land on the next set of stairs, other times she'd slide or skip steps, anything to get her closer to the bottom. Every time she would make it to the next floor she wondered how much time she had left before the Joker realized that she and his coat were missing. It probably took her a little more than ten minutes to get to the bottom; her lungs ached and the pain in her arm was flaring up after using it to lift herself over the railing several times. Samantha paused to rest for less than five seconds before she pushed on.

She began to pull the coat off of her as she came closer to the doors that would lead her out of there, but she held onto it. She knew that at some point the Joker _would_ find her and he would be furious; but maybe if she gave him his coat back it might lessen the rage. Samantha stood in front of the building and looked out at the busy street. She dug through the many pockets of the coat to see if there was any money she could use for cab fare. "Nothing; what a surprise," she said bitterly. _"Wait!"_ In the last pocket there was a small roll of fifty dollar bills and a knife! She whistled for a taxi and jumped inside when it pulled over. "The Alexandra Hotel; step on it!" The taxi took off, pushing Samantha back in her seat.

The Alexander Hotel was one of the farthest hotels from where the Joker was hiding out. She hoped that the Joker would think she had gone to one close by. Samantha tilted her head back, closed her eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief.

…

The Joker gave Tommy a pat on the shoulder. "You think you can _han-dle_ that," he asked him.

Tommy saluted. "Yes sir, Boss." The Joker smirked and walked out of the room with Tommy at his heels.

When he entered the main room, one of the thugs looked at him quizzically and then glanced back at the front door. "When did you get back," he asked.

"What are you talking about?"

The young man stuck his thumb out and pointed over his shoulder at the door. "I saw ya go out that door."

"So did I," another thug added.

The Joker narrowed his dark eyes and cocked his head to the side. "When," he growled in a low voice, licking his lips.

The young men hesitated to answer, afraid of what might happen. "Ah…tw…twenty minutes ago." Before any of them could blink the Joker was already at the bedroom, snatching back the black sheet from the door way. No Samantha; no coat. He ran a hand through his hair and a forced laugh escaped from clenched teeth. _"Very clever, Esmeralda." _He swiftly walked out of the room and went straight for Tommy.

Tommy backed into a chair and ended up sitting in it as the Joker loomed over him. "_Where_ did you t_ake-ah_ her when I told you to watch her?"

"I, I, I took her to the kitchen; I thought she might be hungry and she ate a donut for a while."

"I told you to keep her in the bedroom; did I say she could go in the kitchen?"

Tommy cringed. "She went to the room after she finished eating. She said she was tired." Tommy tried to scoot his chair back to get away from the glaring, scarred face of his Boss.

The Joker turned and walked over to where he had put his gun. He checked the clip and replaced it with a new one. "All of you will spread out and search for her; I don't care how far you go searching, don't assume she'd make the same decisions like some other prisoner, do you understand? Meet back here tonight. Go!" The thugs filed out of the room and out into the city.

….

Samantha walked out of the bathroom of her hotel room, wrapped in a soft white robe after she had finished taking a shower. Her damp blond hair stuck to the back of her neck and droplets of water dripped from the ends. "I feel human again," she sighed. She looked at the chair she had thrown the purple coat on and frowned at it, remembering all the times he had touched her. Samantha had scrubbed herself so hard to try to feel clean again and still she did not feel she had succeeded. It was like she could still feel his fingers tracing her backbone or chin.

Samantha shivered and went over to the window to peek around the thin curtains. She laughed at herself when she found no one out there. "Did I expect hm to be here that quickly?" Heading back to the bathroom, she caught herself humming to 'Sway' and stopped in the middle of the chorus. "Just dry your hair and get dressed, girl," she told herself. She leaned over the sink to wash the faded black streaks of mascara from around her eyes. Sure water proof mascara was great but it was a pan to get rid of in the shower. When the last smudge was gone, she straightened up and looked at her reflection, only to see the Joker standing behind her. Samantha screamed and whirled around. He wasn't there. She ran out of the bathroom to see if he was anywhere else in the room but found she was alone.

Samantha put a hand over her pounding heart and leaned against the doorframe. "Easy girl," she whispered. A small laugh escaped from her. "Now I'm seeing things." She went back into the bathroom, locking the door behind her, just in case.

….

Jeffery strolled over to his cab with his cup of coffee and looked up at the sky to find dark grey clouds gathering. He smiled and went to the driver's side of the vehicle, pulling out his keys. Most people did not welcome rainy weather but most cab men did; it meant more cab fares. He slid into the seat and put the coffee in a cup holder, closing the door. A slight movement from the backseat caught his attention. Jeffery looked in the rearview mirror. "Surprise," the Joker sang and pulled the trigger of his gun while laughing his head off.

….

Samantha sat down at the side of the bed next to the phone and picked it up. She dialed Alice Fredricks' number after spending fifteen minutes debating on whether she should or not. Alice was the only friend she had that the Joker did not know where she lived. Samantha would have called Bruce Wayne, but due to the last time the Joker had been at the billionaire's penthouse and had caused chaos there Samantha thought Alice was the next best choice. She knew she couldn't stay at the hotel much longer.

"Come on, pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up the phone Alice, pick up the phone…," Samantha pleaded into the speaker.

"Hello?"

"Alice?"

"…Samantha?"

"Yes, it's me."

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Are you okay? Where are you? How are you being able to call me? Did you get away from the Joker?"

"Take a breath and I might try to answer your questions." Samantha couldn't help but smile as she heard Alice take a deep breath.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I was able to get away from the Joker but I don't know how much time I've got before he finds me. Alice, I don't want to get you involved but…," Samantha felt her lower lip begin to tremble and she bit down hard on it to stop, "I don't know where else I can go."

"How soon can you get here?"

"I can leave right now."

"I'll be waiting."

Samantha immediately put the phone back in its cradle and grabbed the Joker's coat on her way out of the room.

As she walked away from the hotel, she counted how much money she had left and discovered that it wouldn't be enough for a cab ride. She sighed in frustration and kept walking, tucking the folded purple coat under her arm and as much out of sight as possible. She didn't see one of the clown thugs watching her from across the street. He lifted a phone to his ear and waited for the voice on the other end. "I found 'er…No, I don't kno' where she's headin' but I'll tail 'er.' He hung up and started to follow at a distance.

…

When Alice's doorbell rang she sprinted to the door and yanked it open. "Samantha!" She pulled her in and threw both arms around her friend as Samantha clung to her. Alice led her over to the sofa and sat the young woman down. "You have no idea how frantic everyone was once the Joker took off with you; especially Edward! In fact, I haven't seen him since that day; the last I heard was that he was looking for you."

"Oh you've seen him. As the Riddler."

Alice slowly sank into a chair facing Samantha. "Edward's the Riddler," she asked in disbelief. Samantha nodded. It still felt painful to her. Even though he had lied to her, she still found herself wishing it was him, not the Joker, who's ghostly touches she felt. "Why did he-?" Alice began but Samantha cut her off.

"Look, Alice, I wish I could tell you everything right now but I have to see the Commissioner as soon as possible."

"Why is it so important that you get to City Hall so quickly," Alice asked as she handed Samantha a glass of water.

"The Joker's got something up his sleeve. He's planning something involving bombs in three days' time but I don't know what or where. Do you know what might be happening in three days?"

"There's gonna be a charity ball at The Glitz. The most important and richest people in all of Gotham, even some from outside of Gotham, will be there. I've heard the mayor, Bruce Wayne, Commissioner Gordon, and the new district attorney will show up."

Samantha had absentmindedly been running a finger around the rim of her cup and froze when she heard Alice's words. "He's going to kill them all," she murmured.

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he can." Samantha shuddered at the memory of how cold the Joker's voice had sounded when he had said those words; _"Because I can."_ "And just think about it for a moment; with all those important people dead t would screw this city even more." Samantha downed what was left of her drink and picked up the purple coat. "I'm sorry but I have to get to City Hall and warn Commissioner Gordon. I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Here," Alice pulled some money out of her light blue purse and pushed the cash into Samantha's hands. "Use it for a cab; it looks like it's gonna rain."

"Thanks."

Samantha was half way out to the door when Alice called out, "Is that the Joker's coat?"

Samantha glanced down at the folded coat on her arm and a wry smile made its way onto her lips. "Uh, yeaaah…long story; I'll tell ya later tonight."

….

The thug turned away from the apartment when Samantha walked out the door. He took one last drag from his cigarette and flicked it away before he took out his cell phone and called in her whereabouts. "Want me to get her, Boss?"

"No; I'll pick her up myself."

….

Samantha counted how much money Alice had given her and added it up with what she had left. It wouldn't be enough for a cab ride there and back. She decided that she'd walk to City Hall and ride back to Alice's apartment. Those plans were dashed when the rain began to fall. "This is just perfect," she grumbled. "Taxi!" A cab pulled over to the curb and Samantha darted inside just as the rain poured harder.

"Where to," the cab driver asked.

"City Hall," she answered. The cab man nodded and pulled away from the curb. Samantha huddled in her seat, letting the warmth of the car envelope her. She gave a contented sigh and let her head fall back with her eyes closed.

The driver glanced at her in the rear view mirror. "Are you warm enough," he asked.

"Yes, thank you." Samantha felt the exhaustion begin to creep into her body, but refused to let herself succumb to it. She just **had** to get to the Commissioner. She reluctantly opened her eyes and absentmindedly let her fingers trace the Joker's coat, feeling the texture of the material. She was kinda tempted to put the thing on and let it warm her up even more, but it scared her to think about that. After all, it was **the Joker's **coat.

Samantha cast a glance out the window and noticed the driver had made a wrong turn. "Uh, excuse me sir? I think you just went the wrong way."

"No we're not," the man answered.

Samantha sat up in her seat, leaning forward a little bit. "Yes we are; you were supposed to go rght but you kept going straight."

"We're not going that way…we're going _**my **_way!" The cabman let out a laugh that Samantha instantly recognized. He raised the bill of the black cap from his eyes and looked directly at Samantha in the rearview mirror.

Samantha's jaw went slack and her eyes became large. Her surprise was short lived and a new expression appeared; one of rage. "Joker, you-," Samantha began yelling furiously but did not finish her sentence. The Joker put his foot down on the gas pedal and sped off down the street. The sudden change in speed caused Samantha to be propelled back into her seat and the Joker escaped the choice words she'd had in store for him. When he finally slowed down he pulled into an alley and stopped the car, but not before he locked all the doors.

The Joker turned around to face Samantha, revealing that his makeup was not on. She always forgot the handsome face that hid beneath the clown paint and still felt a little shocked every time she saw him without it. The Joker used the seat adjuster to recline the seat as far down as it could go, giving him the closeness he desired to have with Samantha. He lay on his stomach and rest his chin on his crossed arms that were now on the head rest. The Joker smiled devilishly at her. "I gotta say Samantha, I have _never had a probleeem_ with my hostages before," he sing-songed.

"Isn't that because you always kill them before they can become a problem," Samantha retorted.

The Joker briefly raised his eyes to the ceiling and then looked back at her. "That would be a reason, wouldn't it?" He laughed long and hard as if he'd just delivered the funniest punch line to a joke ever. A gun was pulled from his black jacket and aimed at Samantha's head. He grinned when he saw her body tense up. "I'll tell ya what we're gonna do," he said easily, "You're going to take a ride with me back to the hideout and you're not going to cause a scene on the way; got it?"

Samantha remained silent; something the Joker didn't like. His brown eyes sparked and he grabbed her by the chin, pulling Samantha to be inches from his own face. **"Got it?" **he growled.

"Yeah…I got it," Samantha whispered.

He smiled and released her with the flick of his wrist. "Glad you see it my way, _**honey**_," he said as he turned and readjusted his seat. Samantha felt her insides churn from the way he'd said 'honey'. As if it were an afterthought, he twisted his torso around to look back at her again. "Where's my coat?" he asked.

"Right here," Samantha sighed as she handed it to him. He snatched it back and looked at it carefully before lifting his eyes up at her. "Don't _ever _take my coat again; _that-ah_ _isss off limits._"

"Sorry," Samantha muttered under her breath.

The Joker faced the front, put the coat in the passenger's seat, and began driving again. As he drove the cab through the rain, he hummed to the melody of the song 'Green Eyes' by Eydie Gorme & Steve Lawrence. It was an old tune, really old, but he'd heard it a long time ago and there was a part of the song that reminded him of Samantha, besides the fact that the song was about green eyes. The part that reminded him of Samantha went like so; _"That they will ever haunt me, all through my life they'll taunt me, but will they ever want me? Green eyes make my dreams come true." _He glanced at Samantha through the rearview mirror. Those green eyes… they taunted him to no end and he hated to admit it but they haunted him as well.

The Joker glanced in the rearview mirror again. Samantha was being awfully quiet back there. She sat with her head resting against the cool glass pane, gazing out the window as the rain pelted its outside surface. There was a different look in those green eyes now. A broken one. She wouldn't glare at him with that defiant fire that he loved. She wouldn't look at him at all. _"It's like she's…,"_ he gripped the steering wheel tightly, _"like she's given up," _he thought to himself. No; not his Samantha. She never gave up, because if she did then that would just make her boring and no fun at all. He couldn't stand the thought of Samantha being boring and not sparking his interest.

"Why so silent," he asked with a chuckle. He checked her reflection to see if she gave a reaction; nothing. The Joker tore his eyes away from her and put them back on the streets. His greenish blond hair obstructed his eyesight and he brushed it back with his hand while pushing his tongue against the inside of his cheek. "Sooo, what did you plan on doing once you got to City Hall, hm?" He didn't really have to ask, he had an idea why she was going there; he just wanted to hear her talk. Still no response.

The Joker stopped at a red light. He licked his lips and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. An idea entered his head. With his eyes on Samantha in the mirror, he reached out and pressed the button to unlock all the doors. They unlocked with a click. He watched as Samantha remained still; she only blinked once. He held his breath expecting at any moment for her to take the chance he'd offered her. _"Any moment now she'll jump to open the door and make a run for it, but I'll have them locked by then; she'll probably be furious at me, but that's just fiiine,"_a dirty grin spread across his face, _"she's feisty when she's angry. I like that." _ Samantha never moved. The grin slowly began to fade from his scarred mouth.

The traffic light changed color and he took his eyes away from her for a second to look at it; green. The Joker removed his foot off the brake. That's when he detected movement out of the corner of his eye. Samantha was slowly reaching for the door handle. A grin flashed across his face just as quickly as he reached for the lock button. _Clunk_. The doors were locked.

Samantha glared at him as he laughed wildly. "I knew you wouldn't give up that easily," he cried gleefully. Samantha humphed and laid back in her seat; a murderous frown pointed in his direction. "Sooo, which way is it to Alice's apartment?" the Joker asked suddenly. Samantha's heart stopped. "I, uh, I turn here,_ riiight_?" He turned the wheel in the direction he indicated, which much to Samantha's dismay, did in fact lead to Alice's apartment.

"What are you going to do," she asked, sitting up in her seat.

"I thought you'd like to say 'hey' to an ooold friend of yours, Samantha. I'm sure she'd want to meet your new husband." He pulled over to the side of the street and parked. He got out and opened Samantha's door for her. The hard grip he held on her arm nearly brought tears to Samantha's eyes as she was practically dragged out of the vehicle. She caught sight of the gun he'd concealed in the taxi driver's jacket.

Just before they started to climb the steps leading up to Alice's apartment, Samantha placed a hand on the Joker's chest. He paused at the contact and looked at her curiously. "Please don't involve her; you've destroyed one of my friends already, don't do this to Alice." The Joker snorted and pulled her along until they were at the door. He stood to the side of the doorway, out of sight in case Alice used the peephole to look out.

"Ring the doorbell," he told Samantha.

"I can't; don't make me, pl-."

"Ring the doorbell."

"Joker, _please_-," Samantha begged.

The Joker snarled and grabbed her by the back of the neck, squeezing hard. _**"Ring. The. Doorbell-ah,"**_ he growled into her ear.

Samantha rang the bell and waited. _"Don't answer, Alice. Don't answer…"_

The door opened and Alice lifted a pale blond eyebrow. "Back so soon?"

The Joker stepped out from his corner. "And she brought a guest!" Alice's eyes grew big and her mouth fell open as she backed away from the door. The Joker cackled as he pushed his way inside the building with Samantha in tow. He brought out his gun and waved it towards the couch. "Have a seat, Alice," he snickered. Alice was unceremoniously pushed onto the sofa. Samantha was tossed into the space next to her. Alice instantly found Samantha's hand and held onto it tightly. Samantha gave it a comforting squeeze.

The Joker paced back and forth, lazily moving the hand holding the gun around. He licked his lips and pointed at Samantha. 'Due to Samantha's little…uh…escapade, I have now been forced to take _drastic _measures. To make sure that t doesn't happen again, I've decided to bring your little friend along with us."

Samantha felt Alice's hand tighten around her own. "Wh, what are you going to do to me," Alice asked.

The Joker's eye gleamed with sick pleasure at Alice's apparent fear of him and he kneeled down to be eye level with her. "Oooh that _aaall_ depends on my dear wife." He switched his attention on Samantha.

"What do you mean," Samantha questioned coldly.

The Joker walked on his knees over to her and placed his free hand on her knee. "You see, your friend's life depends on what _you_ do. If you try to escape again or try to warn anyone, then it'll be off with Alice's head…but if you don't give me trouble, I'll let her live." Samantha could feel Alice trembling. "Do we have a deal," the Joker asked in a low, silky, voice. He held out his hand, waiting for her answer.

Samantha glanced at Alice and found she had tears welling up in her eyes and trickling down her cheeks. Samantha turned her gaze back to the Clown Prince of Crime. "I never thought I'd make a deal with the Devil," she replied with as much harshness as possible as she placed her hand in his.

The Joker gripped her hand and shook it; a sickeningly pleased grin spreading along his features. "then we're agreed?" Samantha swallowed and nodded. The Joker made a noise that sounded like he had just tasted something delicious. "Mmmmmmh; that's just _peeerfect_…"

**(Well, what did you think? Sorry it took a long time. I have another little announcement for all my readers; I have a friend that's been making some fan art for my stories. Her deviantart name is Shadows-True-Creator. I've also been making some art for my stories and you can see them on my deviantart name is InkStainedHands518. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave me some reviews! And thanks so much for the ones I've received so far!)**


	16. Chapter 16

**(I'm sorry it's been awhile since I've posted the next chapter for this, but I was busy posting chapters for the other stories I wanted to get out there. I've started a BeetleJuice fic (Stranger Than You Expected) and I'm also doing a humorous Batman Begins/ The Dark Knight story called Welcome to the Mad House. Those shouldn't really make me lose my focus on this story since they are also already written out and I only have to type them up. I hope you enjoy this chapter.)**

Chapter Sixteen

The Riddler tapped the head of his cane against the side of his black shoe as he sat back in a chair. His golden brown eyes were glued to the computer screen, monitoring any calls made to or from Bruce Wayne's penthouse. To put it simply, Nigma did not trust Bruce Wayne aka Batman to not try and pull something over instead of giving him the money.

It wasn't that Nigma had no money; oh no, he had plenty thanks to his previous years as a jewel thief and what he'd gained from that line of work. Heck, he could even call the amount he owned a fortune. What killed Nigma was that it was money he had actually _earned_. Money that _belonged_ to him and he'd been swindled out of it.

Edward Nigma ran a hand through his disheveled hair and groaned. "Ugh… I'm almost _wishing_ he would call the police so I can show them how superior my intelligence is to theirs." He got up and turned the seat around, sitting with the back of the chair facing the computer. He laid his arms on the top and rested his chin on them. "Cooooome ooooooon," he sang impatiently but nothing changed. Nigma leaned back, using his hands to hold onto the top of the chair so he could stretch out as far as possible without falling off.

After a minute of being in that position, he jumped up and grabbed his laptop. He set it up to be on the same page as the computer and grabbed a long coat to cover his green clothes. He shrugged it on and moved for the door. Nigma just had to get out of the building; he didn't care that it was still raining.

Edward had the sudden urge to go 'shopping' for supplies…and cat food. If he didn't get some cat food soon, Little Riddle would probably start to nibble on some important wires.

….

Bruce Wayne put down the newspaper and rubbed his eyes wearily. The front page was all about the brutal murder of an important business man from the company, Competitron. Bruce sighed and put his head in his hands while propping his elbows on top of his knees.

He had so much going on; he didn't know if he could handle it. Samantha was still missing, the Joker was still on the loose, Harley Quinn either wasn't cooperating with the police or she really didn't know the Joker's location, Edward Nigma knew his identity and was blackmailing him, and to add to the mix, he had some charity ball he had to go to in three days.

"Master Bruce?"

Bruce lifted his head and put his chin on top of his hands. "Yes, Alfred?"

"There's a Miss Stacy on the phone; she wants to know when the two of you can go out to lunch?"

Bruce nearly collapsed then and there on the sofa and groaned from the frustration. "Tell her I'm busy and that I can't schedule a date with her any time soon."

"Master Wayne…You still have to keep up appearances," Alfred reminded him.

Bruce let out a loud sigh and craned his neck around to look at the man behind him. "I know, Alfred; you never let me forget. Uh, I think I can squeeze in a few minutes to be the playboy everyone thinks I am at …," he checked his wrist watch, "Six o'clock."

"I'll tell Miss Stacy."

"Wait a minute, Alfred." Alfred paused. "Is this the red head Stacy or the brunette Stacy?"

"I'm not quite sure, sir."

"I guess I'll find out at six then, won't I?" Bruce said with a slight grin.

Alfred returned the smile. "I suppose you will." The butler turned and left the room. Bruce tossed the paper to the floor and lifted his legs onto the sofa, laying down onto the cushions.

If there was just _something_, a hint, a lead, just _**something**_ for him to go on.

The steps of Alfred were returning. "What is it now, Alfred?"

"Miss Stacy mentioned something rather interesting on the phone before she hung up. She said for you to not pick her up by using the main street because there's a lot of police activity at one of the electronic stores that is causing traffic to be slow. She said that she heard the Riddler was involved."

That was all it took to send Bruce leaping to his feet and run out the room. ….

Towards the ending of the day, an electronics store found itself to be missing a few expensive items from the storage room. The girl at the register, whose name tag read Nicky, couldn't recall seeing anything unusual at the time of the robbery; she had been busy helping a customer. The other employees said they saw nothing as well.

Detective Yin was called to check out the crime. It sounded like any other robbery so why did they have to call in a detective? She was told that when the employer checked the security tapes at the time of the robbery, the screens had gone blank and been replaced with the image of a green question mark.

Commissioner Gordon arrived shortly after Yin and walked inside the building. "What have we got?" he asked her.

"No prints, no signs of a forced entry at any of the other doors; it looks like this guy just simply walked into the place and took what he wanted."

"But how?"

Gordon became aware of an all too familiar feeling that someone was standing behind him. "The Riddler is a genius when it comes to technology. He probably found a way to hack into the alarms and turn them off before entering in through a back door."

Gordon turned to face Batman and put his hands on his hips, nodding his head. "I've got no reason to doubt that you're right. You usually are."

"What did he take?"

Yin decided to answer this one. "A few different models of cameras, several laptops, radios, remote controls, walkie-talkies, wires, batteries, and that's all that we know of; the store owner is still going through the list of supplies to see what else is missing. It sounds like the Riddler is preparing for something."

A loud gasp was heard from behind them and all three turned to see Nicky. "Oh. My. G-!" She ran over to the dark knight with wide eyes. "Mr. Batman, you are my hero!" She grasped his hand and shook it furiously with both of her hands. The girl stopped in mid-shake and touched his bicep. "You're much more muscular than I thought," she mused aloud.

"Ma'am!" Yin snapped and took her by the arm, dragging her away. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Nicky clicked her tongue at her in annoyance and began to walk towards the entrance. Like an afterthought, she turned on her heel and looked directly at Batman. "Nice seein' ya, Batman," she called, and then left.

Yin rejoined the others and gave Gordon a look of incredulity. "Do you get that often?" she asked Batman.

"That was actually a first."

…

Nicky hurried away from the store and blew a pink bubble with her bubble gum, letting it pop loudly, as she discreetly scanned the area for a sign. A few low whistles came from an alley in front of the store and she looked both ways before crossing the street and heading for it. Nicky entered the alley and nervously looked around her, peering into the murky shadows. "Mister? Hey, mister; are ya there?"

"Psst. Over here, my dear," a smooth voice answered from the darkest corner.

Nicky jumped when a hand appeared from the corner and beckoned her closer. She chocked and hacked for a brief moment. "Geez, mister; you nearly made me choke on my gum," she whined, moving towards him.

The form of a man emerged from leaning against the wall and revealed the masked face of the Riddler. "Nasty habit, gum is. Now, did you do as I asked? Did you put the tracer on his arm?"

Nicky quickly nodded.

"Did he look suspicious?"

"Nah; just a little freaked out. Heh, heh."

The Riddler chuckled and pulled out some fifty dollar bills from his inner coat pocket. "You've done well."

Nicky eyed the money greedily, her hands itching to snatch it out of his hands and book it out of there as fast as possible. The Riddler extended his arm to hand her the money but paused. "Now remember; if you should breathe a word about this to_ anyone_, it'll be your life. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now get out of my sight."

Nicky took the money and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. The Riddler sighed and leaned against the wall again, watching the store across the street.

It seemed almost too easy to have been able to find someone willing to commit a criminal act for money. So how easy would it be to find a few more people and hire them? Not too many like the Joker; just enough. A small number that he could keep a close eye on. They wouldn't wear masks like the Joker's henchmen; that was simply too risky. Anyone could be under the mask and trick everyone into thinking he or she was one of them.

Nigma grinned at the memory of Samantha telling him about the time she had first escaped from the Joker by the use of a thug's clown mask. A sharp pain came to his chest and he winced. It was getting to where it physically hurt him to think of Samantha. The Riddler shook his head to clear his mind and glared at the electronic store. "Let's see if the dark knight is as smart as they say."

The Riddler tucked his cane beneath his arm and tipped his bowler hat at the store. He then swung his cane back out and let it move on the ground with each step he took away from the area. Nigma soon disappeared into the blackness of the alley, chuckling sinisterly on his way.

….

After the Joker had reapplied his war paint, he left Alice's apartment with the girls and was now in the driver's seat of the cab, humming and drumming his fingers on the wheel as he drove. Alice and Samantha sat in the back. Alice was clutching Samantha's arm tightly as she fought to keep from crying too loudly. Samantha had one arm wrapped around her friend as she soothingly rubbed Alice's arm to calm her. She was relieved that Alice had not recognized the Joker as Allan from high school when she'd seen him without his clown make-up.

This was the exact thing she hadn't wanted to happen. And it had happened all because she had chosen to not trust Gotham's police and stop at Alice's home instead of at the station. Samantha had good reason not to trust them though; they never listened to her and most were dirty cops anyways, but she'd rather have gone there than put her friend in danger.

Alice let out a loud sniffle and a small whimper followed. The sounds were like blood enticing a shark to the Joker. He raised his eyes to the rearview mirror and his lips stretched into a wide grin as he gazed at Alice and Samantha's reflections. Samantha instinctively tightened her protective hold on Alice and glared dangerously at the Joker. _"Just try and touch her, you freak; just try."_

….

Nigma watched the screen of the laptop as the red dot flashed and moved along the map. Every time it stopped for longer than three or four minutes, he held his breath, wondering if he had stopped at his lair. And every time he was disappointed.

The Riddler slammed his fist on the table, startling Little Riddle. "Go to your cave; curse you," he shouted in frustration.

The dot paused. He raised his eyebrows. It started moving again after fifteen minutes. "Agh!" He grabbed a fistful of his red hair. Looking at his watch, he saw that he still had plenty of time before his meeting with Batman. That's when he noticed the dot stop at the MCU police station and then head to a bank after twenty five minutes passed. That made him nervous.

Why would he stop at the police headquarters when they were after the vigilante?... Unless he was asking them to help him with his meeting later that night. They'd probably slip marked bills into his money.

The Riddler grabbed a camera and hooked it up to his computer. He began to hack into the TVs at the bank; he was going to go live with his message. The Riddler sat down in a chair and turned on the camera. Instantly every TV in the bank Batman was occupying had the Riddler staring at them. "So you decided to not play by the rules, eh, Batman? The meeting has been called off; but don't think that you're off the hook about our little secret. If you won't get me the money Competitron owes me, then I'll just get the money from somewhere else. And if you won't kill the clown, then I hope that you're ready for the destruction that will happen in the battle between him and me. Pity; I thought you were smarter than this." The image blinked out, leaving a black screen.

….

Commissioner Gordon turned from the TV screen in the bank's main lobby and stared at Batman, who had been in the middle of placing marked bills in with the money he was going to have given the Riddler. "How did he know that you were here?" Gordon asked. Batman didn't answer. He was looking at a spot on his arm. Batman lifted a little microchip off of his suit and held it up for Gordon to see. "A tracer?" He let it fall into the palm of the Commissioner's outstretched hand.

"He must have made it. The store manager didn't have anything like this in the storage."

"Now what?"

"We double security at the banks."

Gordon scoffed. "Do you know how many banks are in Gotham?"

"He'll go after one that has connections with Competitron. He's out to hurt the company now."

Gordon turned to an officer and put the tracer in a plastic bag the young man was holding out. "And how will I-?" He turned back to find Batman had vanished. "…I hate it when he does that."

"I think it's cool," the young officer told him.

…

The Riddler sat at his desk, scribbling notes onto a yellow notepad. He crumbled up the current sheet and tossed it over his shoulder, muttering something along the lines of it being incompetent. The paper ball missed the waste basket, but he didn't notice. Nigma was only half-listening to the radio when the name Bruce Wayne caught his ear. He immediately set aside his pencil and turned up the volume.

"Multi-billionaire, Bruce Wayne, will be attending the charity event at The Glitz dance hall; also attending will be the mayor, Commissioner Gordon, the city's new DA, Janet Van Dorn-."

The voice on the radio began to fade from the Riddler's hearing. He leaned on his desk and put a fist under his chin, lost in thought. Lots of important people would be there. If anything happened to any of those people… like if one was kidnapped and held for ransom…he'd get all the money he needed, plus he'd kidnap the person right in front of Bruce Wayne, and he wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. He just needed to decide who was worth more.

Bruce Wayne was Batman and one of the wealthiest men in the world; but who would be crazy or stupid enough to kidnap _Batman_? There was that new DA woman, Janet Van Dorn. After what had happened to Harvey Dent, the citizens of Gotham would empty the banks to give him the money and insure the safety of their district attorney.

The Riddler snapped his fingers. "That's the one!"

As much as he wanted to do this on his own, he did realize that he would need assistance. He needed some desperate people who were willing to work for an insane man if it meant they would get paid or be allowed to live. A person was more motivated to do a job if their life was being threatened than if they were offered money.

He also needed a better suit for the ball. Nigma looked down at his clothes and wrinkled his nose with disgust at the state they were in. It was utterly impossible for him to go to that event in this outfit. He needed something with a bit more…style.

….

The door swung open and the Joker waltzed in with the two women. "Since our dear Samantha left us to go visit a friend, I decided to bring that friend along to keep her company. Say 'hello' to Alice, boys," the Joker announced. Her jerked the girls inside and closed the door with his foot.

His eyes landed on the thug who had called in Samantha's whereabouts. The Joker pointed at him. "You, what's your name?"

The thug lit up a cigarette before he answered. "Drake." He inhaled and then let out a cloud of smoke.

"Good work," the Joker said as he grabbed some duct tape and wondered how much he should use to bind Alice's hands together. Drake smirked triumphantly and took another drag from his cigarette. Alice let out a little cough, making small motions with her hands to wave away the smoke from her face.

"You can't smoke around her; she's allergic," Samantha told him.

The Joker put the tape down, deciding not to use t. Samantha would only take the tape off any way. He looked over at Drake. "You, uh, heard the lady, Drake. No smoking-ah around ourrrr," he grasped Alice by the chin and gave her a little shake, "_delicate_ guest."

Drake exhaled smoke. "Too bad for her," he scoffed.

Alice felt the Joker's fingers tighten around her chin before he let go and faced Drake. He cocked his head to the side and pushed his tongue against the inside of his right cheek. "What was that?"

Drake settled into the couch. "I said, 'too bad.' I'm not about to put out a fresh cigarette just because a hostage can't stand it." He puffed on his cigarette and blew smoke directly at Alice. Alice tried to stop her coughs but they came anyway. Drake chuckled spitefully.

"What brand is that?" the Joker asked, motioning at it with his right hand.

"You like?" Drake asked, raising his eyebrows. He didn't think the Joker smoked. He handed him the lt cigarette with a smile on his face.

The Joker held it between his thumb and middle finger. "Ya knoooow, Drake… I don't like it when someone I've hired mouths off to me," he licked his lips, "So I'm gonna have to brand it into you not to do that anymore." The Joker seized Drake's hand, twisted his arm behind his back, and brought the lit end of the cigarette down against the skin of Drake's palm. It seared his flesh and was snuffed out but the Joker didn't stop there. The Joker took out his knife and flicked it open. He then began to carve Drake's hand, poking it twice and dragging the blade in a curved line along the bottom of his palm.

Drake gritted his teeth as he felt the pain spread along his hand and he tried to jerk away. The Joker gave his arm a further twist and Drake stopped.

"Aaaalright; we're done," the Joker said as he released Drake.

The thug tore away from the clown and cradled his hand close to him. He looked down at his palm to discover the Joker had carved a smiley face into his skin with the cigarette burn as the nose. The Joker let the cigarette fall to the floor and he snuffed it out with his shoe for good measure. "Do we have an understanding, Mr. Drake?" he asked with a sickening smile.

Drake quickly nodded, cupping his hand to keep the blood that was pooling in his palm from falling on the floor. The Joker turned to the other thugs. "Does anyone _els-ah_ want to learn a lesson?" No one responded. "Now," he said suddenly, his voice changing from menacing to businesslike, "we have a lot of planning to do, so Samantha…," Samantha stiffened when his attention was directed towards her, "how 'bout you take Alice into the bedroom while us boys talk; okay, pumpkin?"

Samantha did not bother to respond to the term he used for her; she grabbed Alice by the arm and hurried her to the bedroom. She had noticed how pale her friend had turned while the Joker was carving Drake's hand and she knew what was coming. Alice had always been the one with the queasy stomach.

Shoving open the bathroom door, Samantha led her to the sink. Alice bent her head over and retched. Samantha stood next to her, holding Alice's hair away from her face. She waited patiently for Alice to regain control of her sickness and gave her shoulder a squeeze. Alice gasped for breath as her body trembled. Her knees began to weaken and she eased herself to the floor. Samantha joined her, keeping her hand on Alice's shoulder.

"How… how can you be so calm?" Alice asked with tears beginning to develop in her eyes.

"Well, one of us has to be," Samantha said with a simple laugh. _"Keep her sane, Samantha; make sure you keep her sane,"_ she kept telling herself.

Alice leaned against the wall behind her and looked at Samantha. "I still remember the day you told me and Harleen about when you jumped on that bus to go after the Joker at the bank robbery. I never thought I'd meet the guy."

"I've been thinking about that day a lot lately and when I jumped on the bus… and you know what?"

"What?"

"I was a complete idiot," Samantha chuckled.

Alice smile softly; in an instant it was gone. "I've never seen eyes like his," she whispered.

Samantha furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… they change just like him. The way he looked at you when you made the deal…they looked like they were about to swallow you up and then when he was driving us here they were carefree. And then when he put on his face paint they looked so dark and when he was carving that guy's hand… he loved it." Samantha nodded at what Alice said. Alice fixed her eyes on Samantha. "But when he looks at you…there's something different in those eyes…I don't know what it is, but it scares me when he looks at you the way he does." Her voice trembled and she covered her mouth with her hand.

Samantha gently took her by both hands. "Alice, look at me." Alice looked up. "What I tell you right now, you need to remember, okay? Because this could be the only way for you to keep your sanity. Don't fight him, don't argue with him, don't talk to him, _do not_ stare at his scars, do not believe him; some of the things he says are just to try to get a response from you and then he has you under his thumb. Try to look calm around him, if you can't, then try to not break down in front of him. Do you understand?"

Alice slowly nodded and Samantha let go of her hands to reach into her own pants pocket. "And one more thing… You remember that I had his coat with me when I came to your apartment?"

"Yes."

"Well, I found more than just a little bit of money in there." Samantha slowly pulled a pocket knife from her pants pocket.

Alice quickly inhaled. "You have a plan?" she asked.

"We wait until the charity event."

"But that's three days away!"

"I know, but you're gonna have to trust me." Samantha could clearly detect the doubt coming from her. She placed her hands on Alice's shoulders. "Alice…do you trust me?"

"How could I not?"

Samantha smiled. "Good."

The sound of the door opening made Samantha tuck the knife back into her pocket. They turned their heads in the direction of the bedroom door, waiting to see who would come in. The Joker entered and stood in the doorway of the bathroom. He leaned against the doorframe and looked down at the two women. Alice looked away. "Enjoying your stay, Miss Alice?" he asked with a grin.

Alice didn't respond. The Joker lifted an eyebrow. He shoved off the frame and took a step towards them. Alice flinched and fell back against Samantha. The Joker gave an amused laugh and began to back away to make room for Tommy, who had just walked in. "Tommy, you'll be sleeping on the couch, our guest will sleep in your room," the Joker told him.

"Ah, man," Tommy muttered as he walked off to remove anything of his from his room. The Joker soon followed him out, leaving the girls alone again.

"Where will you be?" Alice asked Samantha suddenly.

"In here."

"So we'll be by ourselves?"

"No…," Samantha replied hesitantly.

Alice looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"I, uh, I…You'll be by yourself. I have to share the room with him."

Alice blinked a few times before she attempted to speak again. "…What?"

"The Joker and I share the room."

"Do you sleep together?" Alice asked with shock.

"Trust me, I'd rather be sleeping on the floor, but I have no choice."

Alice swallowed hard before finding her voce. "Have you two… I mean… has he… ?"

"No."

Alice gave a sigh of relief. "Samantha… do you think he's going to let me live?"

Samantha stiffened. "He promised he would…but like I said-."

"Don't trust him."

Samantha saw the panic grow in Alice's blue eyes again and she added, "But, he also is a man of his word." That seemed to calm her.

Loud laughter caught their attention and Samantha strode over to the cloth flap to peek out. The thugs were gathered around at the couch telling each other what they were going to do with their share of the money. Samantha noticed Drake was standing by himself, an angry glare etched on his face as he wrapped his hand in bandages. His eyes traveled over to Samantha and he clenched his teeth. She sent a frosty glare right back at him and closed the flap.

"I think we've made a friend." She sat next to Alice and smiled.

"Who?"

"Drake."

Alice gave a feeble laugh.

"I think you two hit it off just perfectly," Samantha joked with a slight giggle.

Tommy returned later on to take Alice to her room. Alice looked at Samantha fearfully. "You'll be fine," Samantha told her. Alice stood and followed Tommy out. Samantha looked out the doorway to see Drake glaring at Alice as she passed by. The expression on his face did not bode well for either of them.

Samantha decided to keep an eye on him; and if he tried to hurt Alice, she'd take out that knife in her pocket and-! Samantha stopped when she realized what she had been thinking. _"Pull it together," _she whispered to herself. What was going on with her?

She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Samantha just wanted to sleep and briefly forget all that was happening to her. The footsteps that she heard come up from behind made her open both eyes.

"Today's been rather, uh, eventful; hasn't it?"

Samantha ignored the question and headed for the bed. The Joker grabbed her by the shoulder. "Ah-ta-ta-ta-ta-tah! You're forgetting these." He held up the pajamas he'd gotten her and shoved them into her hands. "Hurry up," he said and pushed her towards the bathroom.

Samantha stumbled inside and shut the door. She changed into the pajamas and walked out of the bathroom, trying her best not to look bothered. She crawled into bed and covered her exposed skin with the thin sheets, slightly shivering. The Joker had removed his coat, gloves, vest, tie, shoes, and socks once again and stared at Samantha with interest.

"Cold?"

Samantha turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "What?"

"Are you cold?"

"No."

The Joker grinned as he watched her body try to keep from shivering and fail. "Liar," he said. He moved over to her and pulled Samantha flush against his chest, wrapping his arms securely around her and entwining his legs with hers. Samantha jolted from the contact of his bare feet brushing against her naked legs and he chuckled. "I can't have you running off again, now can I?" he murmured into her ear.

Samantha was far too tired to struggle with him and tried to make herself comfortable. Besides, with him being so close to her, his body heat was warming Samantha up. She reluctantly laid her head on his chest and sighed. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" she asked.

The Joker laughed and he tightened his hold around her. "More than you know, Esmeralda; more than you know." His right hand moved down to graze her thigh and she rammed her elbow into his stomach. "A little feisty right now, hm?" She heard him lick his lips. "That's good. You know, for a moment I thought you'd lost that fire back there in the cab before we picked up Alice," he pressed her closer to him, her back had no space between his chest now, "I'm glad to know it's still there."

The Joker made sure to pin her legs down with his own so she couldn't move them around too much. He felt his eyes close and he inhaled through his nose. She smelled _so good_…

"Please don't…," Samantha said in a surprisingly calm tone. His eyes opened at the sound of her voice. He couldn't see her face since her back was too him but he could feel her heart beating wildly.

The Joker sighed heavily and simply squeezed her middle briefly. He chuckled and Samantha felt it vibrate from his chest. "Youuuuu. Are one _comp-licated-ah_ gir_l-ah_," he said. He leaned in closer to her ear so that his lips brushed against it. "It's gonna happen one night… I still have to make you smile too, remember? Smile for me, Samantha. _Smile_…"

He felt Samantha's body slowly begin to relax and then go limp. She'd fallen asleep. The Joker turned her head towards him so he could see her face. Her eyes were closed, lips slightly parted, breathing evenly, and dead to the world around her. It had been a long time since he'd slept as good as he was since their wedding night. He didn't want to admit it but … holding Samantha seemed to do the trick to get him to sleep. He'd hardy ever slept before, sleep eluded him; but now…

The Joker snorted and wrapped one arm around Samantha before laying down his head. Nah, he was just sleeping in better beds now; that's all. Samantha had nothing to do with it. …Right?

**(I hope that this chapter held up to your expectations! If not, then I'm sorry. I'm half way asleep right now while I was typing the last few paragraphs to this chapter. Please send some reviews my way! I'd really, really, really, really, reeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaally appreciate it! Until my next update; much love, bye!)**


	17. Chapter 17

**(I had a very difficult time with this chapter. I kept doubting whether I should post it or not. The original chapter was too… calm. Now, I don't know about you, but when I think of the Joker, the word 'calm' is nowhere in his description; so I decided to rewrite the chapter. My worry and doubt is what has kept me from posting this chapter because I've been getting praises from my readers saying that I have done a wonderful job keeping the Joker in character and this segment has made me actually lose some sleep at night worrying if I've stretched his character a little too far! Sleep; I tell you! Sleep! I hope that none of you will be mad at me *except Shadow's creator; I know she'll be mad at me, but for completely different reasons* and I hope that this chapter will please you like the others before it; but if not, then I am truly sorry and will try extra to make sure it doesn't happen again.)**

Chapter Seventeen

Samantha lazily swung her legs back and forth as she sat on the edge of a wall that encased a set of stairs outside of her school but also created a bit of a ledge with at least a five foot drop to the ground below her feet. Normally cloudy Gotham skies were having a rare day of sunshine and its rays beat down on her back and reflected off her blond hair that she had pulled back into a pony tail.

She checked her wrist watch and scanned the school's road entrance for her mom who would be bringing Samantha's white Buick back from the auto shop. The engine had been experiencing problems the day before and her father had taken it to get checked and fixed while she rode the bus to school. Samantha had just gotten out of a drama rehearsal after school and had called her mom to come get her. So she didn't expect to hear the voice that came from behind her.

"Hello, beautiful," Allan said as he sat down next to Samantha.

Samantha suppressed a groan and gave hm a curt nod but didn't say anything back. Allan let his long legs dangle over the edge of the wall like Samantha and leaned back on the palms of his hands.

"So, what, uh, what are you still doing here?" he asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," she countered coolly.

"Waiting for the city bus," he pointed out towards the city bus stop that was right at the edge of the school grounds, "the school's buses don't go my way. You're turn to answer."

"Drama practice for a school play," she answered simply.

Samantha hoped her short answer would give him the hint she didn't want to talk.

"Don't you have a car?"

Apparently he didn't take the hint or he was blatantly ignoring it. Samantha sighed and squared her shoulders. She kept staring straight ahead.

"It's in the shop. The engine was acting up."

A hand suddenly waved in front of her face and she drew back from it in surprise. She looked at Allan who grinned.

"Just curious about what's got your attention out there. I mean, that would be just plain _rude_ if you were looking ahead just to ignore me."

Samantha blinked and lowered her eyes to her now still feet, a little ashamed.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

Allan leaned towards her, hand cupped to his ear. "Huh? What was that?" he asked, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Samantha pursed her lips in annoyance but said it again anyway. "I said, 'I'm sorry.'"

"One more time, precious."

"I said, 'I'm sorry'! There; are ya happy now, ya shmuck!" Samantha burst.

She let out a small gasp and put a hand over her mouth. Her green eyes grew big.

"Oh. My. Gosh; I'm beginning to sound like Harleen."

Allan doubled over; holding his middle, as he nearly fell off the ledge from laughing. He straightened up and shook his head.

"Pl, please; ha ha ha ha ha; don't convert to her ways!" he joked.

Samantha actually fought a smile that wanted to show itself on her face. Allan's laughter began to die down and he once again leaned back on his hands. Samantha couldn't help but notice why Alice and Harleen thought he was hot. He definitely had some attractive features… _very _attractive features.

She felt her face flesh when she realized she had been staring at him for a while and quickly looked away. Luckily Allan hadn't been paying attention. He looked back at her after watching a car drive by.

"Sooo, you got anyone coming to get you?" he asked.

Samantha nodded. "My mom."

"Oooh, good old mommy dearest."

"She should be here any minute."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Maybe."

Allan chuckled. "You minx."

Samantha wrinkled her brow at the remark. She didn't like the way he said it. She turned her head to face him and felt her stomach lurch. His eyes were locked on her. His body language was laid back, but looking into his eyes she could see he was alert to everything around him, but more inclined to concentrate on what was in front of him; which was her.

"Stop that," she said uneasily.

Allan quirked an eyebrow at her and cocked his head to the side. "Stop what?"

"Stop looking at me like that."

Allan grinned. "I'm not looking at you funny; I'm just looking."

"Oh! Then I've got an idea; stop looking at me, period!" she suggested sarcastically.

Allan gave a sly grin and slid over to her, their shoulders brushing up against each other.

"But that's sooo hard to do," he groaned playfully.

Samantha's face took on a look of disgust and frustration.

A car horn blared twice. The two teens turned their heads in the direction it came from. A white Buick pulled up in front of the wall they sat on. The passenger window rolled down and Samantha's mom peered out at them.

"Samantha, honey; come on," Mrs. Reads called.

Samantha sighed in relief. She looked at Allan and found him already staring at her.

"Bye," she said without smiling.

Allan opened his mouth to say something but she already slid off the wall and jogged to the vehicle. He never took his eyes off of her as she got in the car and rode away.

Samantha cast a backward glance at him out the back window and faced forward in her seat. She inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled to calm herself.

"_Why does he scare me?"_

A throbbing pain began to form in her head and she pinched the bridge of her nose, wincing.

"Geez," she breathed.

"Something wrong?" her mom asked.

"Just this stupid headache. Do you have any pain killers?"

She turned to look at her mother and felt all the blood drain from her face.

The Joker sat behind the wheel with a gun in one hand, trained on her.

"Sorry, Samantha; I'm afraaaaid I don't have any of thooose. I'm more of a, uh, pain _inducer. _Hee hee ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

The Joker's finger pulled the trigger and an explosion was heard.

….

He was woken up by a breath being drawn in pain. His right arm was still wrapped possessively around Samantha's waist and their legs were entwined. The Joker felt her shudder under him and he lifted his head.

He found Samantha grimacing in her sleep. Cocking an eyebrow, he briefly wondered if maybe he'd forgotten to remove one of his knives from his clothes and its blade was jabbing into her. The thought was gone when he saw his Samantha clutch her head and wince.

The Joker raised himself onto his left elbow and looked down at her. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her teeth were clenched. She curled into herself; her left hand clutching his right, which rested on her belly, and her back pressed against his abdomen. A small whimper escaped her lips and the Joker was instantly curious…and a little turned on. God help him if Samantha could read his thoughts at the moment.

The Joker unconsciously flexed the hand on her stomach, feeling the cool bare skin that wasn't covered by her shirt. He studied her face as she continued to wince and tighten her grip on her head and his hand. His eyes moved down to her neck and saw bruises and the cut from their scuffle that day on the docks. The Joker's gaze lowered to her arms and noticed that bruises were littered over her skin from where he had touched her too roughly; he could even make out the shape of a hand wrapped around her left forearm.

Out of curiosity, he lifted the hem of her shirt a few inches and stared at the dark markings that were there. Had he really done this much damage to her already?

His fingers traced the faded or fresh bruises that spotted her skin and flicked his tongue over his lips. Compared to the many lives the Joker had ruined and destroyed, Samantha was lucky- no, beyond lucky, to only have bruises from him. Well, she did have a gunshot wound on her shoulder but it was healing up nicely and she didn't seem to favor it as much anymore.

The Joker couldn't help but grin. His Samantha was a fighter. _His _Samantha… The Joker's eyes were caught by the glint of her wedding ring. His grin turned wicked. She was his… his property, his possession, his toy.

"_She belongs to me."_

Samantha's green eyes flew open and she gasped when the pain became too great for her to stay asleep any longer. She drew in some deep breaths as she stared ahead; the flashback she'd just experienced had melded into a nightmare that shocked her awake as well as the pain in her head.

"Something wrong, Samantha?"

She turned her head to the right to see the Joker's face hovering over her, amusement written on his features. Samantha lay her head back down and another wave of pain hit her. She let out a moan and covered her eyes with one hand.

"Headache?" the Joker asked, holding his head with his left hand and supporting the weight with his elbow.

"You're a genius," Samantha grumbled.

"Aaaaw; poor Samantha. Want me to kiss it and make it feel better?"

"You wanna fat lip?"

The Joker chuckled and lowered his face into the crook of her neck. Samantha could tell he was grinning because she felt his teeth brush against her skin. Flesh bumps popped out all over her skin and Samantha shivered.

The Joker lifted his head and twisted his fingers into her hair.

"Sometimes you say the cutest things…," he joked.

"Well, here's another; you're a headache in human form," Samantha mumbled, feeling his fingers tangle themselves in her hair.

Thankfully he never got them stuck in the tangles and they vanished when he removed his fingers, never having to pull. Samantha could just imagine the pain she'd experience if he tried to disentangle his fingers from the hair knots by jerking them out. She winced at the mental image.

Just as the pain began to wear off, another attack was brought on. It came so swiftly that Samantha flinched and let out a small yelp. She clutched both sides of her head and curled even further into a ball.

The Joker raised his eyebrows.

"Uuh, that must be a killer headache."

Samantha shifted onto her back; the Joker kept his hand placed on the flat of her abdomen, watching as she used her fingers to massage her temples in little circular motions. Her eyes were closed; as if simply keeping them open only increased the agony she was feeling. She sucked air in through her teeth when another flash of pain hit her. Samantha couldn't remember having such a bad headache before.

The Joker licked his lips and pushed his tongue along the inside of his upper lip as he turned his head to look out the window. Pale daylight was filtering through the glass. He lifted his hand from Samantha's stomach and reached for his pocket watch, pushing the button to open the lid and glance at the time. Five in the morning. His men would hate him for waking them this early, but he wasn't looking to be a well-liked guy.

"Well, Samantha, I hate to leave you like this-,"

Samantha gave a scoff.

"But, I've got some men to wake up, an idea to carry out, a city to bring anarchy to; you understand, right?"

He stood to slip his arms into his purple coat and looked down at Samantha, who narrowed her eyes at him. He sighed and placed both hands on either side of her, leaning over Samantha.

"You could always visit your friend, Alice. She could keep you company while I'm gone, that way you won't be sooo looonesome without me."

He grinned at her and bent down to kiss her when Samantha lifted a hand to block his lips.

The Joker cackled and moved it aside, bringing his lips down onto hers. His tongue licked the bottom of her lip and Samantha became incensed. She raised her other hand to strike him but the Joker effectively blocked the hit and pinned it down onto the mattress.

"Samantha, Samantha, Samantha… what did I tell you about hitting? Hm?"

He hopped onto the bed and straddled her, removing his coat.

"Maybe you just like to play rough? Is that it? Weeeell, I've got plenty of time before I need to wake up the boys…"

Samantha's headache became a distance memory when she saw him begin to undo the buttons of his shirt. She lifted the upper part of her body and pushed him away with as much force as possible, wriggling out from underneath his legs. The Joker giggled and grabbed her by the arms, pulling her back and pushing her down.

"Oh no you don't."

He hovered over Samantha with a strange gleam in his eyes.

"This is it, Samantha. This is the moment you've tried soooo hard to keep from happenin_g-ah_."

He gripped both sides of her face and looked into her eyes. Fear was screaming inside her green orbs and it made him laugh.

"You look terrified!"

He licked his lips and drew in some wheezy breaths from laughing so hard.

"I'm really not that bad, Samantha."

"Joker, stop it!"

He covered her mouth with his hand. "Shuuusssssh, shush, shush, shush, shush, shush."

Samantha was really beginning to panic; she wasn't staying still for nothing. The Joker had her legs pinned with his own and her arms were held by his hands, but she was still trying so hard to throw him off. She was only exhausting herself … and getting him excited.

The Joker locked lips with her and held tightly to Samantha's arms. The force he used made her head push into the mattress, making it hard to jerk it in either direction. He moved his mouth along hers and tried to get some movement out of her, but she was being stubborn.

"_Come on, Samantha; come on, come on, come on, come on, coooome ooon."_

He felt her body reluctantly begin to relax and lose the tenseness. Her hands started to unclench. Samantha's lips loosened up and he felt them kissing him back! The Joker released his hold on her arms and slipped one under her back, pulling Samantha closer to him. His other arm held the back of her head as they continued to kiss.

Samantha used her hands to feel for his shirt and started to undo the third button where he'd left off. The Joker grinned into their kiss at the sensation of Samantha's hands finally touching him this way instead of the usual slap that she gave him. Her hands traveled up to his face and they pulled apart to catch their breath. Samantha stared at him and reared one arm back. The Joker realized too late that he'd been played.

Samantha's fist collided with his jaw and caused him to fall back onto his side. She scrambled out of the bed and headed for the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She realized that locking herself away from him was a feeble attempt of protection but it was all she could do; besides, the knife was inside her jeans pocket which was lying on the sink counter. Samantha's hand dove into the pocket and felt her fingers curl around the knife. She pulled it out and flipped open the blade. Her plan might have to have to take place a little early.

….

The Joker sat up and growled loudly, ready to break down the door and drag her out to finish what they'd started. He'd underestimated her. He didn't think Samantha would have had the nerve to play along like that. But if he wasn't very much mistaken, she _did_ seem like she enjoyed it a little bit. As if she had released some sort of held in emotion that had been eating at her.

The Joker grinned devilishly and headed for the bathroom door, then paused. No. No, he'd let her suffer waiting for him to make a move the whole day. That would be so much more fun.

He looked down at his blue hexagonal shirt to see she'd gotten all but the last two buttons undone. He shook his head and snickered.

"Minx," he whispered, slipping the buttons through the holes again and grabbing his vest and coat. "See you tonight, Samantha," he murmured under his breath.

….

Samantha stood frozen to her spot in front of the bathroom door, waiting for him to kick it in and barge through. Her breathing came quickly, but she tried to slow it down. Her efforts weren't succeeding. The knife was shaking in her unsteady hand.

After about nine minutes, Samantha finally put her ear to the door and listened for any sounds on the other side. She heard nothing. Cautiously opening the door a crack, she peeked out and saw no sign of the Joker. She remembered the Joker had hidden behind the door at the hotel, so she swung the door open, expecting it to hit a body but instead it slammed against the wall.

The throbbing in her head had increased but she ignored it; she walked out of the bathroom and looked all around before finally deciding that he had in fact left the room. Samantha collapsed to her knees and gasped in some air.

The Joker had tried to rape her. He'd actually tried to… Samantha just couldn't seem to wrap her mind around it. She never thought he'd stoop so …low. As crazy as it sounded, Samantha thought he was above rape. It would have been rape if she hadn't played along…or was she playing?

What made her kiss him back? Yes, she had kissed him back before the idea of playing along so he'd release her and she could punch him occurred to her. When the Joker had kissed her like that, she found herself wanting to just surrender and let everything go. She was getting so tired of fighting back and only receiving more suffering for it. The fact that she had _wanted_ him to continue kissing her scared the crap out of Samantha.

"_What's happening to me?"_

Samantha's thoughts took on a different train of thought. What stopped him from breaking down the door? What if the Joker had gone to hurt Alice as punishment for what Samantha had done?

Samantha jumped to her feet and crept out of the room to the one Alice was being kept in. She was careful to make sure no one saw her, but they were all too distracted to notice. Samantha lightly rapped her knuckles on Alice's door.

"Alice?" she whispered.

"Samantha?" She didn't sound like she was in trouble.

Samantha turned the knob and pushed open the door to find Alice sitting up in bed with a bad case of bed head hair. Alice rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Samantha? What's going on?" she asked worriedly.

Samantha quickly shut the door behind her and hurried over her friend. Alice caught sight of Samantha's pajamas and raised her eyebrows.

"What are you wearing?" she asked.

Samantha had a momentary case of memory failure and looked down at her body. She felt her ears turn red. She had completely forgotten that she was still wearing her night clothes.

"Pajamas from France; it's the latest fashion," Samantha snapped sarcastically. She sighed and gave her the real answer. "They're clothes the Joker got me to sleep in."

Alice ran a critical eye over the clothing as Samantha sat on the bed and sat Indian style.

"It looks more like underwear with a few extra inches of material," Alice said with a wry smile.

Her statement made Samantha laugh softly. Geez, it felt good to laugh again with a friend.

Alice took a closer look at her friend and her expression changed from playful to concern.

"What happened?"

Samantha felt a shiver rack through her body.

"Nothing … I was just worrying about you; that's all."

Alice eyed her.

"Honest; I thought you might have been bothered by that Drake guy and I wanted to check on you."

Alice's face told her she wasn't really convinced but she didn't push the matter any further.

"Are you going to tell me anything about your plan?"

"The plan might be changing. I can't say."

Alice sighed and looked down at her hands as they fiddled with the sheets.

"Is there any chance of us getting something to eat?" she asked in her small voice.

Samantha smiled.

"If we hurry before the guys scarf it all down."

She stood up with Alice.

"First I gotta change into something that'll not attract so much attention."

Alice nodded in agreement as she stared at the pajamas and sucked in her lips.

"Mh-hm."

….

The moment Samantha and Alice entered the kitchen, Samantha wished that they hadn't. The Joker was there, sitting at a small dinette table that had been left behind in the apartment, and with him was Drake. Both men had stopped in the middle of their discussion over some blueprints that were laid out in between them.

Drake's lip curled menacingly at Alice and she clung tightly onto Samantha's arm. Samantha laid a calming hand on top of Alice's own and gave it a light pat.

The Joker's eyes were like knives. They had locked onto Samantha the instant her presence had become known and they never left. His shoulders were hunched, the way they normally were whenever he was in the middle of discussing crimes, deals, or plans…although, he didn't like to call them plans. The Joker's head was lowered, so his glaring eyes seemed to be even more menacing as he stared at her.

Samantha felt like a fist had closed over her heart as she stared back and found herself quickly looking away. She turned her back on the two men and searched the counter surface. She found some leftover food the thugs hadn't eaten and she fixed a plate for Alice and herself. Alice went to a nearby corner and nibbled at her food, waiting for Samantha to join her.

The Joker sat up and licked his lips, eyes still trained on Samantha. His hand flittered a 'go away' gesture at Drake and the thug did the smart thing; he left the kitchen. The Joker stood up from the table and walked towards Samantha, who's back still faced him as she fixed her plate.

Alice turned to glance at Samantha and let out a squeak when she saw the Joker had moved to be close to her. Samantha was able to slightly turn to look at Alice before the Joker pinned her to the counter with his body, both hands on the counter top on either side of Samantha. She felt the counter jab into her stomach as the Joker pressed against her, his breath tickling her ear.

"Don't think that I'm going to let what happened go, _Samanthaaaa._" He leaned closer, making Samantha have to bend a little at the waist to avoid further jabbing from the counter's edge.

"And I knooow you weren't playing me the _whooole_ time…"

The Joker placed both his hands on her hips and began to knead them.

Samantha gripped the counter with white knuckles.

_Too much physical contact!_

She was furious with what he was doing to her and saying, but she couldn't bring herself to call him a liar. Deep down, she knew it was true. Deep down… she knew she had liked it. Why was she starting to like it? A few months ago she had hated the very thought of him touching her, but now… she wasn't even trying to tear his hands off of her hips.

This little detail didn't escape the Joker's notice. He grinned and pressed against her even more closely until there was no more space left.

"Having second thoughts?" he whispered in her ear.

A slight whimper of discomfort was heard. At first he thought it was Samantha, but then he realized it had come from behind. He turned his head to see Alice gaping at them in panic and embarrassment. The Joker let out a full blown laugh and pulled away from Samantha. She pushed off of the counter and put a hand on the spot where the counter had painfully dug into her stomach.

The Joker sauntered over to Alice and grabbed her by the chin.

"I forgot we had a guest in the room," he said.

He flicked her face away and looked Samantha again as he snatched up the blueprints from the table.

"I take it your friend doesn't know?"

He got a glare from her as an answer. The Joker raised his eyebrows.

"Hm."

He winked and exited the room by backing out and kicking the door open with his foot.

Alice swallowed and stared at Samantha with wide eyes.

"Nothing happened, huh?" she asked sarcastically.

"In a sense, nothing did."

Alice shook her head in sorrow.

"What is he doing to you?" she asked softly.

Samantha knew it was a rhetorical question. One that she couldn't help but wonder herself.

…...

Nigma couldn't believe he had forgotten the blasted cat food! Now he was having to pick the lock of a convenience store that hadn't opened yet at five-thirty in the morning; hoping that it sold cat food. They probably had those small canisters that were one serving small so he'd have to get several cans… maybe all of them.

The lock was easy to pick; child's play to a guy as mastered in the art as he was. Nigma slinked into the store and refrained from switching on the lights. He had already been to this store before and knew they had no security cameras, so he was good to go.

He found a box of trash bags and took one so he could carry the cans. Nigma searched the aisles and found what he was looking for. Just as he suspected, they were in little canisters. He stuffed every single one into the bag and headed for the stock room. As he walked, he grabbed a few items that he thought he himself might need. After all, he did need food to survive.

Once again, he picked the lock and went inside, ignoring the sound of a motor cycle as it drove by. He slightly closed the door behind him as he scanned the shelves and located the item he needed. Just as he was finishing up, he heard a noise coming from outside of the room. Nigma quickly looked at his watch to check the time. The store didn't open until eight and it was five-forty-five at the moment.

He slowly eased the door open, mentally thanking the store owner for keeping his door hinges well oiled. Edward crept down the aisle and peeked around to see two people dressed in black were stealing from the cash register. No, not two people; two beautiful women! Two women who seemed to know what they were doing.

He glanced out the opening of a side door to see a motorcycle parked out of sight from early morning traffic. He turned his attention back to the women and took in their appearance. One had very short black hair, styled almost like a man's cut, and had a darkish tint to her skin. She was busy stuffing the cash into a sack while the other held a rifle and stood guard. She looked the part too since she was wearing a police-like hat on top of her long blond hair and her brown eyes shifted everywhere.

Well, the girls had managed to block his exit. Nigma twisted his neck around to search for another way out. How was he going to-?

"Step out from there right now!"

The Riddler's head snapped up to look at the end of gun barrel pointed in his face. The blond glared down at him.

She was good! He didn't even hear her coming.

"There a problem, girl?" the raven haired one asked, stepping out from behind the register with a full bag of money in her fist.

"Yeah; seems like we weren't the first ones here after all."

The black haired girl joined the blond and both stared at Edward in annoyance. The blond noticed the black trash bag Edward held and she pointed her gun at it.

"What's in that?" she asked harshly.

Maybe it was his stubborn pride that he didn't want to tell them that he was stealing cat food. He was the Riddler for crying out loud!

"It's nothing," he answered.

The dark skinned one stomped her foot.

"Man; he probably got all the good cash and left us crap in the register! Didn't you? Didn't you?"

The blond bared her teeth at him and shoved the gun under his chin.

"Is that true, pretty boy? Did you get the cash before us?"

"I certainly did not."

"Then why are you here?" Blondie asked.

Edward Nigma folded his arms over his chest with a stubborn expression on his face.

"I have my reasons."

The raven haired woman made a rude smacking sound with her mouth.

"I ain't got time for this. Hand it over."

Nigma didn't know what he wanted less. That they were stealing from _him_, or that they found out he was stealing _cat food_?

Blondie waved the gun barrel in his face and he huffed as he handed over the bag.

"Here," he sighed.

The black haired woman snatched it away and opened it up…only to have a completely confused look on her face.

"Whaaa?" she said. "Cat food? _Cat food_?"

"_Please;_ my pride is already a bit damaged without you pouring salt in the wounds," Nigma said snippily.

She didn't have to keep repeating it like there was an echo in the room.

"Who are you?" Blondie asked.

"My, my, my; don't we ask a lot of questions?"

"I mean it, pal!"

"Whatever happened to calling me 'pretty boy'?"

The sound of the rifle being cocked was not a good sign.

"I'll ask one more time. Who are you?"

"Who am I? Hmmmm… well… that's fairly a_ riddle_ in itself, isn't it?"

He had to restrain the smirk that wanted to spread along his mouth as the two women eyed him with a mixture of disbelief and awe. Maybe he should have worn his Riddler suit? But wait… he did have his mask in his coat pocket…

Nigma carefully reached into his coat, making his movements obvious so the women wouldn't be surprised. He pulled out his mask and slipped it on.

"Do I seem a bit more familiar?" he asked with a slight grin.

The raven haired one let her jaw go slack.

"That's him. That's him! Oh my gosh, it's him! I saw you on the TV."

The blond slowly lowered her gun at her partner's confirmation.

The Riddler glanced at Blondie.

"How good are you at shooting a gun?"

Blondie grinned. "I could have shot your eyeballs out separately from where I was standing at the cash register."

"And how about fighting?"

"Both of us have taken some classes and trained ourselves when we got kicked out for excessive violence."

"What are your names?"

"Deidre Vance," Blondie said.

"Nina Damfino," the dark skinned one answered.

Nigma chuckled. "Maybe we could work something out? I sense a little…similarity between the three of us. How would you two like a job?"

Both women glanced at each other and seemed to have an unspoken conversation which lasted for not even half a minute. They faced him again and nodded.

Nigma clapped his hands together once.

"Excellent. Now… you'll have to use aliases."

He stared at Deidre as if her appearance would generate an idea. He remembered how she kept asking questions.

"Query."

His gaze shifted to Nina.

"_She sure likes to repeat herself…"_

"Echo."

The trio exited the building together with a different outcome than the one they had expected when they entered.

**(Please leave me some reviews so I can know how I did. I'm practically biting my nails off in suspense of hearing from any of my viewers! Pleeeeease, tell me what you think. Unless you're just wanting to be mean. I'll try posting another chapter before the month is over. Send me some reviews; much love.)**


	18. Chapter 18

**(Hello dear readers; I'm so sorry that it's been such a long time since I've updated. Due to the high demands that college life has, I can only tell you that the time between my updates will be longer. But I've been able to find a bit of time to work on this chapter and hope that you enjoy it.) **

Chapter Eighteen

Echo (Nina Damfino) and Query (Diedre Vance) stood in the living room of the Riddler's hide out. Nigma had brought the two here in the strictest of confidence and they swore never to speak a word of where he was staying.

Diedre still felt a little dizzy at her and Nina's luck to have stumbled upon _the Riddler!_ Sure he wasn't as well known as the Joker, that was one sick guy, but the Riddler was sure to be right up there with him soon. Diedre sensed that the Riddler would be one of the greats that would be remembered like other criminals before him. Al 'Scarface' Capone, 'Mad Sam' DeStefano, etc. Yeah, the Riddler was gonna be one of those fellas.

At the moment, Nigma was busy trying to locate some blueprints that he'd set aside earlier that morning.

Edward straightened up from his bent position over his desk and scratched his head. "Confound it; it was here just a little while ago!"

Diedre happened to glance over at the cat and saw it batting at a roll of blue paper on the floor that was held together by a rubber band. "Ahem; Mr. Riddler?"

"Yes?"

"Is that it?"

Edward craned his neck in her direction to see what she was talking about. He followed where her finger pointed and his eyes alighted on the paper. "Eureka!" he cried and leapt at the blueprints, startling Little Riddle in the process. The cat scurried away and crouched behind a box.

Nina couldn't help but let a little 'aw' escape at the cat's display of fright. Animals were a soft spot for her ever since she was a child.

The Riddler scooped up the roll of blue paper and pulled the rubber band away as he walked to a few boxes he had made to form a make-shift table. He unrolled the plans and set them down on the boxes' surface. Edward motioned for the two women to come forward. They immediately obeyed, still a little in awe that they were in the presence of The Riddler.

Edward looked up from the plans and eyed the two of them. "First question; Have either of you been inside The Glitz?"

The girls gave him blank stares.

"Alright then," he said as he clasped his hands together, "we'll start from scratch. Have either of you heard of the charity event coming up at the Glitz?"

"We have now," Query remarked with a grin.

The Riddler smiled back and continued. "In two days all the richest and important people of Gotham will be at The Glitz, including the new D.A., Janet Van Dorn. Due to what happened to the last district attorney, Harvey Dent, the people will be willing to pay _any_ amount to make sure she's safe."

The Riddler paused and stared at the blue prints for a minute, lost in his thoughts. He was so still and quiet that Echo and Query began to wonder if something was wrong.

"Uh… Mr. Riddler?"

Nigma suddenly slammed his fist on the boxes. "Ugh! How could I be so stupid? How could I not have thought of this before? He'll be there as well! It's too good of an opportunity to miss!"

"Who will?" Query asked.

The Riddler didn't answer. He kept talking at a fast pace. "And no doubt he'll have her with him! He won't risk leaving her alone, not when she's been able to escape before when he wasn't looking! But he'll have a crowd of thugs with him, and I've only got two people. I'll have to hire more."

Nina and Diedre glanced at one another. What was he talking about?

"Do you two have any criminal friends?" It took them a moment to realize Nigma was talking to them. Nina nodded. "Are they loyal to their employer when they're hired?"

"Yes. They believe in keeping their part of a deal."

"Good. Find them and bring them to that closed garage we passed on the way here."

"Yes, Mr. Riddler," both women said at once and left the area.

Nigma began to pace the floor, muttering to himself and running his fingers through his red hair. "Finally a chance to get Samantha back and to kill that clown." He couldn't believe he hadn't thought that the Joker would show up at The Glitz before. It was just the type of event Nigma expected would draw in the Joker. So many important people would be there!

Edward felt his hands begin to tremble at the thought of finally getting Samantha back in his arms. He'd never let her out of his sight ever again! He'd never brush aside any worries that she told him! He'd never keep any secrets from her! And he'd stop at _nothing_ to undo her marriage to the Joker!

"_Samantha, please don't give up on me. Please don't be angry. I'm trying; I'm trying so hard, but my mind is so…" _So what? His train of thought jumped from one station to another; revenge against Competitron, exploiting Bruce Wayne, rescuing Samantha, gaining his money back, and destroying the Joker. It was like he couldn't focus on one thing to do first. All of them seemed so important to him, but he knew that his first goal had been to get Samantha back and she had nearly been pushed out of his frame of mind.

Nigma sat down on the floor and put his head in his hands. _"Please don't think I've given up on you."_

….

Alfred stood beside Bruce Wayne, watching the images on the computer screens inside the temporary Batcave. On one computer, video recordings of the Riddler's announcements played while Nigma's personal information scrolled along the screen at the bottom. On another computer, videos of the Joker played silently with no information at all at the bottom of the screen.

"You're running yourself ragged, you know?" Alfred said.

"This city is going to suffer from these two fighting each other, Alfred. I have to stop them before it gets out of control."

"Ah, but perhaps you've forgotten the _reason_ why they're fighting each other. You've begun to look away from the heart of the situation."

"They're both connected to Samantha Reads."

"No; they're not 'connected' to Samantha Reads, Master Bruce, they're both _in love_ with Samantha Reads."

Bruce shook his head, glancing at the butler from the corner of his eye. "This isn't love, Alfred. It's an obsession."

Alfred stepped up and sat on an uncluttered portion of the desk. "I may not be much of a psychologist, but I believe that in their minds, they love her just as normally as any other person loves another."

"But the Joker? Do you really think he can love?"

"Love has many forms, Master Wayne. People love differently. Some may be reserved in showing their affection, others may have no problem with kissing out in public, and then there are some who love so much that people think it to be unnatural."

"But… the Joker?"

"Her heart is what they're battling each other for. They both want to possess it."

"How can you be sure?" Bruce asked.

Alfred gave a reassuring smile. "I just am." He got up from the desk and began to walk away.

Bruce gazed at the two insane men on the screens and turned to look at Alfred. "Are you speaking from experience, Alfred?"

Alfred paused and faced Bruce. He glanced down at the floor for a moment and then back up to meet Bruce's eyes. "Yes, Master Bruce. There once was a time when I too loved someone."

"What happened?"

"She chose the other man."

….

It was some hours later when Diedre and Nina came to the garage with six men accompanying them. They entered the garage and saw that no one was in sight.

"You better not be setting us up," one of the men threatened.

"We're not! The Riddler really did say to meet him here," Echo insisted.

"Well, well, well; so you made it!" a voice said from behind. As one they all turned to look. The Riddler stepped out from behind a stack of rusty metal barrels. "Ready to hear my plan?"

….

The Joker snickered at the memory of Samantha's face when he'd gotten so close to her and had made her think he was going to rape her. That had been so funny!

"_Rape,"_ he scoffed, _"rape is what lower classes of criminals do. I'm a better class of criminal." _The Joker's step faltered for a moment. She _really_ thought he was going to rape her…

The Joker screwed up his nose; insulted. He'd have a little, uh, _talk _with her later tonight. Right now he had to let his numbskull thugs now what they had to do.

He entered the living room and found that Drake had placed the blueprints to The Glitz on the table. He went over to it and the thugs gathered around as the Joker drew a circle over the entrance of a hallway.

"One team will be stationed here, and will cover the Commissioner if he tries anything," he paused, looked up, and pointed at a clown and then at an area of the map. "You will be standing right-,"

….

"- here to stop any one from escaping the room. It's a bunch of rich folks so they probably won't have the nerve to fight against a man with a gun," the Riddler pointed out as he showed his new hired help the blueprints. The man Nigma had just instructed nodded to show he understood.

"What about us?" Query asked.

"Yeah, what about us?" Echo repeated.

"You two will-,"

….

"- set the explosives_ here_ aaaaand _here..._along these air vents. Sooo, I need you two to bust into the place after closing time and start rigging them up."

"Sure thing, boss," the two men said in unison.

"And what if Batman shows up?" Drake asked a bit mockingly.

….

On opposite sides of Gotham, both criminals gave the same exact answer at the same time.

"I'll take care of him."

**(I'm sorry this chapter was shorter than usual, but I'm in a bit of a rut and I'm also very busy, so please forgive me. Also, please leave me reviews; it'll boost my confidence and my happy-meter. )**


	19. Chapter 19

**(Okay, once again I apologize for the shortness of the last chapter and I really appreciate all the reviews I got from my readers. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed so far on this story; NeverShoutRawr, imalionrawr010, MienFacade, bellac611, KeelyMatthews, XxXPsychoBabyDollXxX, 25travelbabe, Mary H. Less, pandabear21, MissBliss8527, Gir2345, Shadow's creator, To Be Half Of A Whole, Zilzilii, ForeverisGone13, lovinlife83, SideshowJazz1, HypoVampire, We want wizard cookies, , Diana Fay, ninjapoke, XxXevan'sZompyreXxX, howler of the moon, linnie kinda spinnie, alicelouise'x, Madness is me, Joy, xxphantomgirlxx, RandomFactGIRLAWAY, mariah6336, BrittanyMichele, danceallnight, theoneandonly, PeacefullyCrazy, JM, ShaDowEmpIre, word junky, Charlotte, TheRiddlerMEthis, romeondjuliet4-ever, MangaReaderGirl, Madison, Jordin Pierce, Alice ecila, ANoN, Detective Huckle, linnie, readingobsessed, vintage-with-grease, and someone who did not provide a name. Thank you all.)**

Chapter Nineteen

Samantha stood at the kitchen entrance, debating on whether or not it was safe to leave and hurry to Alice's room and lock the door. Samantha had never really taken the time to appreciate the locks put on bedroom doors; before she met the Joker, Samantha had never used the lock on her bedroom door; but now she found herself giving a prayer of thanks to God for putting the idea of creating locks in mans' head.

Samantha waved Alice over, while not taking her eyes off the Joker and his band of thugs. "When I say, both of us are going to head to your room. Don't run or anything, okay? We don't want to attract a certain jerk's attention." Calling the Joker a jerk earned Samantha a small smile from Alice. "Okay; let's go." The two women eased out of the kitchen and calmly walked towards the hall entrance.

"_Oooh, Samanthaaa…"_ the Joker sing-songed. Samantha cringed and froze in place. Alice's face turned a shade paler than it already was. Both of them turned to face the Joker and found him smiling smugly. He was leaning on the table with one elbow and using his hand to hold his chin. He slightly tilted his head to the left in mock curiosity. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked, still in a bit of a playful voice.

Samantha stood a little taller to show the Joker that their little encounter in the kitchen hadn't ruffled her. "We're going to Alice's room; is that a problem?" she challenged.

The Joker cocked an eyebrow at her attitude but kept the smile on his face. "Oh no; not at aaall. In fact, I'll join you."

Samantha's act slipped a little. "What?"

The Joker straightened up from the table and he did a little skip over to Samantha, giving a leap right before he stopped in front of her. "Yeaaah; there's a little thing we need to, uh, talk about, but let's leave Alice out of it, huh?" Before Samantha had a chance to respond, the Joker seized her by the wrist and pulled her along towards the hallway. Samantha cast a glance towards Alice and saw the look of terror on her friend's face. Samantha looked over at the goons to see Drake was smirking evilly at Alice. As soon as the Joker had entered the hallway entrance, Samantha reached out for the frame and clutched it with her free hand, causing the Joker to feel resistance in pulling her along. He turned to look at Samantha.

"There's no way I'm leaving Alice alone with that creep," Samantha whispered to the Joker.

The Joker raised both eyebrows at her remark. "There's another creep besides _me_ in the room?" he joked.

"I don't trust Drake not to do something to Alice," Samantha hissed.

The Joker gazed into Samantha's eyes for a moment. Her eyes held his with an unwavering stare; something she did whenever Samantha's mind was made up or she was being stubborn. The Joker had noticed this about her eyes a long time ago. He looked away and set his attention on Drake and Alice. He tongued the inside of his left scar and pursed his lips. "Tommy Boy; make sure no one tries to mess with Samantha's little friend; got it?"

Tommy gave a salute and stepped over towards Alice, smiling a little shyly. "Uh, hi," he said.

Alice sent Samantha a look that read, "Are you kidding me?" Samantha could only shrug before the Joker jerked her out of sight behind the wall of the hallway entrance.

The Joker slung Samantha inside Alice's room and laughed when she tripped and fell to the floor. He leisurely strolled into the room and locked the door behind him. He leaned his back against the door and folded his arms across his chest. He fixed Samantha with an intent look as he took his time in coming up with what he was going to say. Samantha sat on the side of Alice's bed and waited impatiently for the Joker to speak.

A few minutes ticked by in silence and Samantha grew fidgety. Why was the Joker being so quiet? Just as she opened her mouth to ask him what this was all about, the Joker finally spoke. "Did you reaaaally think… that I would stoop. That. _Low_?" he asked.

Confusion flickered across Samantha's face. "Huh?"

The Joker pushed himself off the door and pointed at Samantha as he walked across the room towards her. "This morning, you thought that I was going to _rape_ you."

Samantha broke eye contact for a brief second before meeting his gaze again. "Well, you were, weren't you." She said it like it was a fact, not a question and that made the Joker want to slice up that pretty face of hers.

The Joker felt his fists clench and the skin near his nose twitch. Samantha really thought hm no better than the common hoodlums on the streets? That was insulting! "No," he said in a low growl. "No, I was no_**t-ah**_." He cocked his head to the side and smirked. "I thought you knew me better than that, Esmeralda?"

"I don't even know your _name_, Joker."

The Joker blinked at her statement. Suddenly he lunged forward and pushed Samantha further onto the bed. His knees landed on the mattress and the Joker grabbed Samantha by her forearms; he pulled Samantha back up into a sitting position while he was on top of her. Samantha tightly grabbed the Joker's coat sleeves as a reflex and felt her heart leap into her throat. "Now, let's get one thing straight, Samantha; **I. Don't. Rape.**" His grip tightened around her Samantha's arms, causing her to wince. 

The Joker jerked her close, shoving his face into Samantha's personal space. "If I have sex with you, it'll be because you wanted me to!"

"That is _never _going to happen!"

The Joker's lips crashed into Samantha's and he furiously began kissing her. He used his body to pin her in between himself and the mattress so she couldn't escape. Samantha felt it again; that tiny little desire to give in, to just let go. A part of her told Samantha that it was useless trying to keep fighting the Joker off, but the other part told her to kick the crazy clown where it would hurt and get him off of her! Samantha squeezed her eyes shut, determined to block out the sensations that threatened to break her.

The Joker pulled away and gazed into Samantha's eyes. A smirk slowly formed along his mouth. "I beg to differ," he said darkly. Samantha felt her heart skip a beat at the look he was giving her. She couldn't read his expression, and that scared her more than the fact that she was starting to have a desire to give up and resign herself to being the Joker's wife.

The Joker was breathing heavily as he stared down at Samantha. He was trying to read her, trying to find something, anything, the slightest hint as to what was going on in Samantha's mind. Of course, it wasn't really working since he was getting distracted by the fact that he was lying on top of her and she… wasn't trying to push him off. The Joker lowered his head closer to Samantha's face and pressed his lips against her forehead. He felt her flinch.

A feminine scream rang out from the living room and was soon followed by loud crying. Samantha's head turned toward the direction of the scream, making the Joker's lips break contact. "Alice," Samantha breathed.

The Joker growled, teeth bared, and pushed off of the mattress. He stormed out of the bedroom and into the living room. Samantha scrambled off the bed and hurried after him, only to screech to a stop so she could avoid bumping into him. He had stopped just underneath the hall entrance and stood with his shoulders hunched more than usual. Samantha stepped to the side to be able to see what was going on.

Drake was straddled atop Alice, holding a cigarette lighter in one hand and clutching Alice's arm in the other. "How about cigarette lighters? You allergic to those too? You must be, you keep screaming and 'breaking' out every time it touches you," Drake said cruelly. He flicked on the lighter and held it to the skin of Alice's wrist. Alice gave a painful cry and tried to yank her arm out of Drake's grasp, but he proved to be far stronger than her. Samantha looked around for Tommy and found him being held back by two other goons. Apparently, Drake held a little more prestige among the group than Tommy did.

"DRAKE!"

Drake's head snapped up to see the Joker. He flicked off the lighter and immediately got off of Alice. "Boss…" he said a bit uneasily. The goons holding back Tommy released him and took a step back.

"I tried to stop them, Boss, but they grabbed me and-," Tommy tried to explain.

Alice hurried to get off of the sofa and ran towards her friend, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Samantha," she wailed as she cradled her wrist. Samantha wrapped her arms around Alice and held her tightly as the woman bawled into her shoulder.

The Joker watched Samantha use herself as a shield for her friend. He noticed the hatred that sparked in her eyes when she looked over at Drake. The Joker reached over Samantha and grabbed ahold of Alice's injured wrist and examined the burns. There were four scorch marks and two of them looked like they would blister in a few short hours. Alice whimpered when the Joker poked at the burns. He let go of Alice's hand and turned to Drake.

"You shouldn't have done that," the Joker told Drake in a scarily calm voice.

Drake made a 'tsk' sound with his teeth and flopped onto the sofa. The Joker glanced back at Samantha and made a motion with his eyes for her to take Alice into the bed room. Samantha led blubbering woman into the hall and to Alice's room. As soon as they were gone, the Joker slowly craned his neck around to look back at Drake, who lazily lounged on the sofa cushions.

The Joker stuck one hand into his coat pocket and sauntered over to the young thug. Everyone in the room was watching. "You know, Drake… for a guy in your _positionnnn_, you sure don't seem very, uuuh, concerne_d-ah _with your… predicamen_t-ah_."

Drake linked his hands behind his head and shrugged. "Why should I be?"

….

Samantha sat on the edge of Alice's bed, examining her friend's burns. "They're not too bad; but then again, they're not too good either," Samantha said.

"Lucky me," Alice sniffed, trying to stifle her sobs.

"What happened in there?"

"I d, don't know. All I was doing was sitting on the sofa and the next thing I know, Tommy was pulled away from me and that horrible guy was leaping onto the couch to get on top of me."

"Horrible isn't the only word that comes to mind when I want to describe him," Samantha muttered.

…

"You're reeeeaally pushing your luck, kid; disobeying me, the Joker, when he tells you not to hurt his wife's best friend? I'm pretty sure Samantha didn't apprecia_te _what you did to Alice."

"I don't give a crap about what your stupid whore would apprecia- agh!" The Joker's hand clamped around Drake's throat and squeezed hard, pinning him to the sofa. The other thugs froze, all eyes on the Joker and Drake.

…

"I'll go see if there's anything around the apartment to use to help reduce those burn effects," Samantha offered. Alice gave a sniffle and a nod as she lay upon her side and curled into a ball on the bed. Samantha got up and headed for the door. She entered the hall way and heard voices talking…

….

The Joker reached into Drake's jacket pocket and pulled out the cigarette lighter. He flicked it on and held it up for the both of them to see. "You know, you reeeally should stop smoking, Drake; it's hazardous to your _health_." The flame was pushed against the skin near the corner of Drake's eye. Drake screamed in agony and jerked around to get free. Finding that the lighter had been snuffed out, the Joker lit it again and pressed the flame against Drake's eye lashes, which quickly caught on fire and burned off.

The Joker tossed the lighter and brought out his knife. He laughed hysterically as he plunged the blade into Drake's belly and twisted the knife. Drake's screams rose in volume. The Joker wrenched the knife out of Drake's stomach and pressed the blade against the thug's cheek. The Joker licked his scared lips as he stared down at the man with black eyes. "Hasn't anyone ever told you to respect the person who could kill you at any second?"

The Joker slit open Drake's cheek and did the same to the other side. Drake's screams slowly turned into gurgles as blood filled his throat and he began to choke on his own blood. The Joker grabbed Drake by the shirt and threw him off of the couch like a limp dummy. Drake hit the floor and rolled onto his back, clutching at the gaping wound in his stomach.

The Joker lazily walked over to Drake while nimbly turning the knife over and over his fingers. He got down on his knees and pulled Drake up by his shirt. He stabbed Drake in the shoulder, earning another scream which grew louder because of the pain involved in moving his torn cheeks. The Joker giggled at the sound and leaned in close to Drake's ear. "Oh… and _ooo_ne more th_iiiing_-ah," he whispered so only Drake could hear, "… she's no_t-ah _a whore." The Joker moved his blade across Drake's throat, slashing through arteries, and let his body slump to the floor.

The Joker stood up and observed the blood that got onto his blue, hexagonal shirt. "Now I gotta get this suit cleaned," he muttered. He stepped over the dead body and casually strolled back to the group of thugs. One goon had a bandanna wrapped around his bald head. The Joker calmly grabbed the bandanna and wiped the blood off of his knife. "Does anyone _else_ think they can disobey me?" he asked, not looking up from his cleaning.

"No, sir!" came a military like answer.

The Joker chuckled to himself and handed the bandanna back to the bald thug. When he looked back up, he saw Samantha standing in the hallway entrance. She stood there staring at him with wide eyes and her lips partially opened. Her gaze lowered to the dead man on the floor and the color seemed to drain from her face. Samantha's lower lip began to tremble but she clenched her jaws tight to prevent it. The Joker knew she must have seen the whole thing happen.

"Samantha?" Alice called out worriedly. Samantha gave the Joker one last glance before springing towards Alice's room. As soon as the door was opened, Samantha rushed over to the bed where Alice had sat up and was trembling. Her face was pale and her voice shook as she spoke. "What happened out there? Why was someone screaming? It sounded awful!" Samantha sat down next to her and tried to think of what to say. "What did he do?" Alice asked.

The Joker suddenly appeared in the door way, still holding his knife. He twirled the blade around in his hand. "I just cut Drake's ego down to size." He broke out into wild laughter and Alice caught a glimpse of the blood on his shirt.

Alice immediately felt sick to her stomach but the feeling was forgotten when she looked at Samantha. The look on Samantha's face told her that she had seen the whole thing happen. _"What else has she seen him do?"_ Alice wondered.

"You… _butchered_ him," Samantha snapped at the Joker.

The Joker stepped inside the room and shrugged. "He deserved it," he replied simply.

Samantha jumped to her feet, fists clench at her sides. "Of course he deserved it; but you didn't have to mutilate him! Just slicing his throat would have been enough and would have served its purpose, but no, you-!" Samantha stopped so suddenly it was as if someone had pressed the mute button on her. She clamped her hand over her mouth, completely stunned at what she had just said.

The Joker was a bit surprised too. He watched her with an elevated eyebrow and his head slightly cocked to the right. Samantha backed away from him and removed her hand from her mouth. She inhaled deeply through her nose and turned her back to the Joker. She had just sad it was okay for hm to have killed a man!

"_You wanted to do it yourself, didn't you?"_ she heard him ask her.

Samantha whirled around. "No, I didn't!" she hissed.

The Joker cocked his head to the other side and slowly ran his tongue along his bottom lip. "You didn't what?" he asked.

"You just asked me-!"

"He didn't ask you anything, Samantha…" Alice said nervously.

Samantha was quiet. He hadn't spoken? It was in her head? She was hearing the Joker's voice inside her head again!

The painful headache suddenly returned and worked its way down every nerve in her body. The Joker was laughing at her! Samantha looked up at him to see his lips weren't moving; the laughter was in her mind! Samantha covered her ears and groaned. The Joker stopped fiddling with his knife and fixed his eyes on her.

"Sam, Samantha?" Alice reached out and touched Samantha's elbow. Samantha jumped back and ran past the Joker to the room across the hall.

As soon as she was inside, Samantha threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in the pillows. Her muffled screams filled her ears for the next few seconds. The pain in her head was excruciating and the screaming had done nothing to help. Samantha flinched when she felt a hand touch the small of her back; she didn't have to look up to know who it was though.

"Sooo, what was that about, hm?"

Samantha lifted her face from the pillow and turned it in the opposite direction the Joker was in. "You should know the answer to that. You're there every time I turn around; you never leave me alone."

The Joker walked his fingers up Samantha's spine, over her shoulder, and down her arm. "Coincidence," he told her.

Samantha sat up and turned to face him. "That's too many coincidences! I know you had to have planned some of them."

The Joker gave a sly grin. "M_aaaa_ybe… a few."

Samantha sighed and put a hand to her head as the aching increased. She closed her eyes and leaned over until her elbows met her knees and she stayed in that position. "Please leave me alone for a few minutes."

"Now what kind of a husband would I be if I left my wife alone with a terrible headache?"

"A good one for once."

The Joker chuckled and got up from the bed. "You won't even give me a chance," he fake-whined.

"Joker," Samantha moaned.

The Joker walked backwards towards the door way, keeping his eyes on Samantha. "I'm going, I'm going," he said with a slight bow. He slipped past the black sheet covering the open door and turned around to walk front ways. He wet his lips and skipped over to the thugs. "Sooo, who wants to take Drake's place for tonight?" Everyone was silent.

The Joker began to circle around some of the men. "Anyone?" He chewed on the inside of his cheek and glanced up at the ceiling for a moment. "No one? Do I need to play 'spin the knife' to find someone? Hm?" Still no one answered. "Fine; 'spin the knife it is. But instead of letting the person live, whoever the knife points to will die." Instantly everyone's hands were up. The Joker pursed his lips. "Hm; sooo many volunteers. How will I ever choose?" He randomly pointed at someone. "You! Put on your mask and go. Remember the way I told you to set up it up."

"Yes, sir!" The two thugs slipped on their clown masks and snatched up their guns before they ran out the door.

Tommy was pulled aside by the Joker. "You did load all of the barrels in the van, right?" the Joker asked.

"Yes, Boss."

"Good, reliable, Tommy." The Joker steered him in the direction of the kitchen. "There's something else I need you to get for me."

….

The Riddler sat at his computer, fingers dancing over the keyboard; completely focused on his task. Echo and Query stood behind him as he printed out and laminated the fake IDs they and the other hirelings were to wear for the party. Echo sat in a chair next to the computer and smiled when Little Riddle hopped into her lap. "Adorable," she purred, scratching the feline under his chin. The Riddler glanced up from the screen at them and remembered Samantha's face when she had first seen the kitten.

Nigma busied himself again, refusing to linger on her memories for too long. He didn't want the pain he was constantly feeling to increase. He didn't want to remember the way she had looked at him in the maze. He shrugged off the memories and moved his mouse so the arrow on the screen would be over the print button.

The printer spat out Query's new ID. She reached over and snatched it up. Query wrinkled her pixie-like nose once she read the name. "Mary-Lou Queensberg?" she repeated. She looked up at the Riddler as he leaned back in his chair.

"So outrageous it must be true," he explained. He could still sense her doubt. "Look, Query, it's the way the human mind thinks. Anything simple will be overlooked, anything too complicated is suspicious, and anything in the middle is too confusing to be worried over."

Query still looked doubtful but gave a 'what the heck' shrug of her shoulders. The Riddler took the ID and laminated it. "You have kitchen clearance," he told her.

"I'm a worker?"

Nigma suppressed a groan and settled for rubbing his eyes with his thumb and middle finger. "You're all workers. Guest are limited to where they can go, workers can move anywhere without being questioned unless someone's really suspicious; so don't look suspicious. Blend in." He turned to face Query. "Understand, Miss Queensberg?"

Echo snickered. Query allowed herself to smile.

"Alright then; Echo, let's work on your ID." Nigma interlocked his fingers and popped his knuckles before getting back to work.

….

The two clown thugs avoided the Glitz's security cameras as they set up the explosives in the locations the Joker instructed. Clown one unscrewed the grid off an air ventilation shaft close to the floor and Clown two placed a canister inside, switching the thing on so it would go off with the push of a remote button. Clown two adjusted his gloves before he put the grid back on and Clown one screwed t back in place.

"That's the last one; let's go," Clown one's muffled voice said from behind his mask. Clown two nodded and the both of them disappeared.

…

Tommy came back to the apartment, hours later, with four slim cardboard boxes. The kind you'd get at a fancy clothes store. Tommy looked around the large living room to find the floor and sofa was taken over by sleeping thugs. One goon was holding a pillow close to his chest; Tommy wouldn't have been too surprised if the man started sucking on his thumb.

Tommy shook his head and tip-toed his way across the crowded floor to the kitchen, where he was going to put the boxes in one of the cabinets until he could show them to the Joker tomorrow. It turned out he wouldn't have to wait till then. The Joker was sitting at the foldable table, playing a card game; it look like solitaire. The Joker paused in mid-humming of the song 'Solitaire' and looked up at Tommy without moving his head. It creeped Tommy out when the Joker looked at hm from the corner of his eye like that. Every time he did, it looked like the Joker was going to pounce any second and murder him.

Tommy cleared his throat. "I, uh, I got what you wanted; the two suits and two dresses."

The murderous look vanished and the carefree face of a clown appeared. "Good boy, Tommy," the Joker said as he gathered the cards with one sweep of his arm. He stood up and motioned for Tommy to put the boxes on the table. Tommy did so with no hesitation.

The Joker lifted the lid of one box, sneaking a peek, and did the same with the other three. He came to his suit and a grin spread across his face. The Joker moistened his lips as he quickly closed the box shut and looked at Tommy. "And it's the only one of its kind?" he asked.

"They assured me its custom made."

The Joker chuckled. "Now, we have to wait. The pieces are in place, the game is set, aaaand… it will be sooo. Much. Fun." He cackled and walked past Tommy towards the bedroom.

Tommy sighed and headed for the main room. Someone was already occupying his couch. Tommy groaned. "Great." He looked at the thug holding the pillow and carefully pried it out of his arms. The thug continued to sleep. Tommy went over to an empty spot on the floor and laid down to try and catch some shut eye.

**(There we go! Another chapter! I want to know what you think! I also want to know if anyone is still interested in doing some fan art for my story. And just to let my reader know, by the end of November I will be going on a trip to New York City! *SQUEELS!* I'm ooberly excited and can't wait to go, but I won't be able to work on the story until I get back. I'll probably get lots of ideas when I go to N.Y.C because I heard that **_**The Dark Knight Rises**_ **was being filmed there. I wonder if any filming is still going on? …. 00… Anyway, leave me some reviews and I'll love you forever!)**


	20. Chapter 20

**(I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! New York was great! Unfortunately, I didn't see any filming for **_**Rise of the Dark Knight**_**, but I pass by a lot of buildings with the name Gotham in the title. My mom and I were walking by a building called Gotham City Hall (or something like that) and I said, "Hey, mom, look; Gotham! Look for Batman momma!" Her reply? "Oh, I will!" We stood there for a few seconds pretending to search the skies for him. "Batman? Where for art thou, Batman? Come and save us!" …. Oh yeah; my dad and brother were there watching.)**

**(Joker: "Due to popular demand of having me, the Joker, return as a… uh… side story and bug My Purple Skies, I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!" *laughs insanely*  
*My Purple Skies shakes head mournfully* "Why must this cursed man plague me!"  
Joker: "The audience loves me, kid, deal with it."  
My Purple Skies: "I object to this! I object most strongly! What happened to Darkschik? She was supposed to keep you away!"  
Joker: "How do you think I was able to come back? Mwahahahahahaha!"  
My Purple Skies: "!"  
Joker: "Oh, cut the drama and introduce the next chapter to the readers."  
My Purple Skies: *sighs* "Fine. Chapter Twenty; Readers. Readers; Chapter Twenty."  
Joker: - _ - "….. Cute. Real cute.")**

**[I suggest listening to 'Feeling Good' by Michael Buble during the ball.]**

Chapter Twenty

"Samantha," a voice whispered. It sounded so familiar. "Samantha," the voice called again. Samantha moaned in her sleep but didn't wake up. "Samantha," the whisper sounded urgent and was accompanied by a gentle shaking of her shoulder. "Wake up, baby."

She knew that voice! Samantha's eyelids flew open and revealed Edward Nigma's face hovering over her. "Edward?" she whispered in disbelief.

Edward smiled and gently brushed the hair away from Samantha's eyes. "Hey, baby," he greeted soothingly.

Samantha quickly sat up in bed and wrapped her arms around Edward's neck. Edward enfolded Samantha in a tight embrace, kissing her jawline and neck. "How did you find me?" Samantha asked in a low whisper, eyes darting about the room. She didn't see the Joker but there was a chance he was close by.

Edward released Samantha and grabbed her by the hands. "There's no time to explain. Let's get you out of here before he comes back."

Samantha kicked off the sheets and jumped out of the bed so she could follow Edward. He wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her out of the room. "Wait; Alice, she's here too-," she began, but Edward put a finger to her lips.

"Already taken care of," he told her.

"Not really, Riddle Man."

A force hit Edward from the back and he let out a yell as he fell face down on the floor. Samantha's heart lurched when she saw a knife sticking out of his back. Whoops of laughter sounded from behind her and she turned to see the Joker running at them with another knife in his hand. Samantha dropped to her knees and removed the knife from Edward's back. She turned him over to where he was facing her; Edward let out a grunt of pain from the movement. "Edward, come on; get up!" Samantha urged.

The Joker roughly pushed Samantha aside to get at Nigma. He bent over and reached down to grab Edward by his shirt, jerking him up so that they were nearly eye level with each other. Edward clawed at the Joker's gloved hand, trying to pry them away.

"Glad ya made it, Eddie. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show." The Joker giggled and looked over at Samantha. "Sooo, _this_ is you're, uh, prince charming, hm?" He made a face that seemed to say, "Really?" The Joker brought his other knife into view. "Let's see what he's _reeeally _made of." The Joker thrust his knife at Edward and - …..

…...

Samantha awoke with a loud gasp and sat up in bed. Her heart was pounding within her chest and felt as if it might tear out of her body if she didn't calm it down. She took some steadying breaths through her mouth and put a hand over her heart, feeling the beats slowly return to a normal pace. After Samantha was sure she wouldn't have a heart attack, she finally noticed the bathroom door was wide open and the light was on. From where she sat, Samantha could just see the bathroom sink and mirror; but that wasn't all that was in there at the moment.

The Joker stood with his back to the open door way, leaning over the sink. His face was reflected back to Samantha in the mirror; clean of clown paint. He was inspecting something that was laid out on the counter top's surface. And that's when another detail revealed itself to Samantha. The Joker didn't have a shirt on!

That fact made Samantha's eyebrows shoot up as far as they could go. She immediately peeked under the covers to make sure she was still wearing her pajamas and sighed in relief when she saw she was fully clothed. Samantha turned her attention back to the Joker and realized that it was his blue hexagonal shirt that he was inspecting. She remembered the blood that had gotten on the Joker's shirt the night before. There was no trace of blood on the fabric now.

"_He must have cleaned the blood off the shirt and set it out to dry last night after I'd gone to sleep," _Samantha thought. _"But, wait; if he cleaned it and set it out to dry last night… then…"_ Samantha's breath caught in her throat. _"He got into bed with me without a shirt on!" _ Shivers of repulsion broke out all over Samantha's skin and she literally tried to bat them away out of impulse.

The Joker was still focused on his shirt and didn't notice Samantha's case of the shivers. If he had, he would have laughed. Samantha looked at the Joker and her eyes traveled along his bare back and arms. Scars were tattooed across his flesh. Some were faint and barely noticeable, others had obviously been deep gashes which had long since healed but still left its mark. Some scars were small, some were large, some were thin, some were long, some were jagged, some were smooth; all had been painful.

The Joker's body wasn't completely covered in scars, not to the point of looking like he'd been through a shredder; just enough that it would draw a few stares…just like the scars on his face.

"_You wanna know how I got these scars?"_

"_He's human…,"_ Samantha thought suddenly. It had to have been the first time that she actually remembered he was human. Those scars were evidence of his vulnerability.

"Sometimes I forget you're human," Samantha said aloud.

The Joker's head jerked around to look in Samantha's direction. He turned to face her, which showed that the front part of his body had received nearly the same amount of scars as his back had. The Joker saw that Samantha's eyes were not on his face. He followed the path her attention was directed at and grinned. "See something you like?" he asked slyly.

Samantha finally snapped out of her thoughts and met the Joker's gaze. He slowly sauntered out of the bathroom, arms extended out to his sides, displaying his scarred torso. "Well…," he licked his lips and cocked his head to the side, "what do you think?"

Samantha stroked the corner of the bed sheets with her thumb and bit her lip before speaking. "It must have hurt."

The Joker continued to smile as he let both arms drop to his sides and he plopped into an armchair that faced the bed. He lifted his long legs up and propped them on the mattress as he slouched into the seat. The Joker's eyes never left Samantha's. "It must have hur_t-ah…?_ You think it hurt?" the Joker repeated. "Let me tell you something, Samantha." He leaned forward in his seat, running his tongue along his bottom lip as he did so. "It. Felt. Gooood."

Samantha was stunned. "You… you _like_ being hurt?"

The Joker eased back into the chair. "One man's definition of pain is another man's definition of pleas_uuurrrre_," he drawled. "Actually… it kinda tickled whenever Batsy was beating me at the MCU. _Ev-ery _time he hit me, I laughed; which made him hit me harder… and I laughed harder." The Joker chewed on the inside of his cheek and made a motion with his hands like he was displaying something. "Pain doesn't bother me."

Samantha and the Joker stared at one another in silence for nearly thirty seconds. Samantha broke eye contact first by looking down at the mattress and turning her head away. "Put your shirt back on," she said in a low voice.

The Joker tongued the tip of his left canine and grinned. He gave a breathless chuckle as he continued to stare at Samantha. "Why? Does it, uh, _botherrr_ you, Samantha?" He got up from the chair and slinked onto the bed, sitting very close beside Samantha. "Does it make you…uncomfortab_le-ah?"_

Samantha slightly flinched when she felt her arm come in contact with his bare chest. She moved her arm but refused to look at him. The Joker grinned wickedly and leaned in further against Samantha's back. "You look nervous; is it the scars?" He grabbed Samantha by the chin and jerked her head around to face him. "Wanna know how I got 'em?"

"Will you tell me the true story?"

The Joker blinked at Samantha's remark. "Where's the fun in that?" he asked. He stared at her for a few more seconds and then got off the bed. The Joker headed for the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

…

Bruce Wayne walked down the hall of Wayne Enterprises, dressed in a dark business suit and a dark tie. The tie felt like it was choking him. Lucius Fox walked beside Bruce and entered the large conference room. A long, wooden, rectangular table was in the center of the room and several chairs set around it.

"Why is it that when you own a big business, you have to attend so many meetings?" Bruce muttered to himself as he glanced over information in a folder Lucius had handed him.

"Because most business owners have time to attend the meetings and don't spend the entire night out as a vigilante," Lucius answered. "Just try not to fall asleep during this meeting. We've had to reschedule them once already."

Bruce chuckled and added his signature to the bottom of a paper. He closed the folder and handed it back to Lucius. Bruce's attention was draw to the windows and the city outside. He walked over to the closest window and stared out at the vast sea of skyscrapers.

Lucius eyed Bruce curiously. "Something wrong, Mr. Wayne?"

"She's still out there. She's either still waiting for someone to rescue her or she's given up. But she's not the type to give up."

Lucius set the folder down on the long table and joined Bruce at the windows. "I assume you're talking about Mrs. Reads?" he ventured, removing his eye glasses.

"Yeah. I've dealt with hostage and kidnap situations before, Lucius, but this is so different. I can't find a _trace_ of them. The Joker's been too quite. I just don't understand it."

"Only God could understand the way the Joker thinks and acts, Mr. Wayne; and even He probably has a few question marks above His head when it comes to that clown."

Bruce could only smile at Lucius' joke. He continued staring out the window as if a clue to the Joker's whereabouts would pop out and present itself. Of course, nothing happened. Bruce sighed heavily and ran a hand over his face. A knock sounded from the door and both men turned to look. "Come in," Bruce called.

A secretary entered the room with several stacks of manila folders. "I brought up the folders you asked for," she told Bruce.

"Thanks; just set them down on the table, will ya, Cindy?" Bruce turned back to the windows, one hand grasping his chin.

"Sure, Mr. Wayne." Cindy set about to placing a folder in front of each chair at the table. "I would have had them up sooner but Alice Fredricks wasn't here to help me locate the files," she commented, trying to make small talk.

Bruce had slightly craned his neck around. "What was that?"

"Alice Fredricks didn't show up for work today so I didn't have any help."

This time Bruce rotated the rest of his body to meet in the same direction as his head. "Alice Fredricks? Is she sick?"

"I have no idea," Cindy placed the last folder down and angled it perpendicular to the chair. "She hasn't come in to work for the past two days. She also hasn't called in to explain why she didn't show up. That's three days in a row; today, yesterday, and the day before."

"Bruce and Lucius exchanged glances. "Thank you, Cindy. I'll look into it."

As soon as the woman left the room, Lucius turned to face Bruce. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Wayne; but isn't Miss Fredricks a close friend of Mrs. Reads?" he asked.

Bruce sighed through his nose. "I wish I could correct you," he said and started walking to the door. "Something tells me this isn't Alice being neglectful."

"I'm guessing your twelve o'clock meeting is going to have to be rescheduled…again?"

Bruce turned and flashed Lucius a sly smile. "Nonsense; I'm sure you'll do just fine holding the meeting yourself, Mr. Fox."

Lucius cocked a silvery eyebrow at the billionaire while suppressing a smile. As Bruce walked out the door, Lucius replaced his glasses on his nose and sighed. "Sometimes I think this company should be called Fox Enterprises."

….

Bruce arrived at Alice Fredricks' apartment half an hour later. He'd taken off the business jacket and tie and undid the collar buttons. He should have felt like he could breathe now, but the news about Alice missing work for three days made his chest feel tight. Something was wrong. He knew that when he called Alice's number three times and kept getting the answering machine.

Bruce parked his car on the side of the street and climbed the short amount of steps to Alice's door. He knocked but received no answer. Now what? Bruce discreetly took a pick lock tool out of his pocket and put it into the key hole. He tinkered with it for a few seconds and heard the lock click.

Bruce cautiously pushed the door open and waited silently for a moment. When nothing happened, he stepped inside. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Everything looked fine; but then again, Bruce wasn't familiar with Alice's apartment to know what went where.

The light was blinking on Alice's answering machine and Bruce went over to it. The small digital screen on the machine said that it was holding six messages and that there had been nine missed calls. That was Bruce's sign. Alice hadn't just missed three days of work; she herself had been missing for three days.

Bruce whipped out his cellphone and blocked his number before sending an anonymous text to Commissioner Gordon about Alice Fredricks' disappearance. Gordon would know it was from Batman.

"**Alice Fredricks missing for three days; close friend of Samantha Reads and Harleen Quinzel. Investigate Miss Fredricks' apartment for any clues as to Joker's involvement." **

Bruce closed his phone and tucked it back into his pocket. He scanned the apartment once more and quickly left the building.

….

The rest of the day flew by and soon it was nearing the evening. The Glitz's charity ball was just beginning and people were arriving. The theme of the event was the 1920s; men were dressing in Roaring Twenties mobster styled suites and some women were dressing as flappers.

The Joker hummed to himself as he carried two clothes boxes to the room he shared with Samantha. When he walked in, Samantha was absent mindedly massaging her temple while sitting in the armchair. The Joker grabbed the back of the chair and brought his face around to the side; surprising Samantha. "Ready for the party?" he asked, grinning cheesily.

Samantha rolled her eyes and sighed. "Party?" she asked, irritably.

"Yeah; I need me a little arm candy to escort me to The Glitz Charity Ball."

"You're not gonna leave me here with Alice?"

The Joker threw himself onto the bed and lay back against the pillows. "Why would I do a thing like that? If I left you with any of those dimwit goons out there, you'd escape within an hour; wouldn't you?" He lifted an eyebrow and smiled mischievously at Samantha.

Samantha's mind began to reassess her escape plan now that the Joker had thrown this wrench in the gears. She had expected him to leave her and Alice alone with two or three men to watch them.

The Joker made a clicking sound with his mouth and pointed a gloved finger at the white box on the floor. "That one's yourssss," he drawled.

"I'm not going," Samantha said, coldly.

"Oh, yes, you are. Alice and Tommy are already getting ready for the party."

Samantha's heart rate picked up. "Alice is coming?"

"Well, Tommy needed a date too," the Joker said as if it were obvious. "Plus, I needed a little leverage over you in case you got any ideas while we're there."

Samantha kicked the box away and it skidded across the floor. "I'm not going! Do you really think I'm going to sit there and watch you murder all those people? This isn't like the ferry boats and we were up in that building, far away from them; you're putting me there _with_ them! And you expect me to keep quiet?"

The Joker swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. "I'm no**t-ah **going to let you escape again."

"I promised you I wouldn't."

"And you probably thought of some way to squeeze out of that promise, didn't you?"

"Oh, really? Did you do the same thing with your promise to keep Alice alive?"

The Joker narrowed his eyes at her and licked the corner of his mouth. "Just-ah put on the dressss," he ordered.

Samantha took a step closer towards him, locking her green eyes with his brown ones. "No."

The Joker's hands shot out and grabbed Samantha by her hips. "Are you going to put the dress on," he began lifting the hem of her shirt, "Or am I going to have to do it for youuuu," he growled.

Samantha's hand flew before she could stop herself, and felt her hand strike against the Joker's face. His head jerked to the side from the impact and everything went very still. The Joker's green hair partially hid his face as he continued to stare at the floor. Samantha held her breath, wondering what would happen next. He was breathing heavily and his grip had tightened around her hips.

After a few seconds passed, he raised his eyes from the floor and glared at her. No smile, no laugh. His eyes were black. A gloved hand closed around Samantha's arm and squeezed until she was gasping from the pain. The Joker's other hand came to her back and shoved Samantha against his chest. "Are you, uh, _tryin__**g-ah **_to make things moooore… difficul**t-ah **for your friend? Hm?" He licked his lips and seized her chin, forcing her to be so close to him that their lips brushed against each other. "Put. On. The. Dress!"

The Joker shoved Samantha away and caused her to fall onto the mattress. He snatched up the box from the floor and tossed it at her. Wordlessly, the Joker grabbed the box holding his suit and skulked into the bathroom. He slammed the door shut and leaned his back against it. "Samantha, Samantha, Samantha…," he murmured under his breath.

The Joker walked to the mirror and dropped the box onto the sink counter, starring at his reflection. The make-up would have to come off for the party. He turned on the faucet and began to scoop water into his hands, splashing his face. Soon the paint disappeared and his real skin tone appeared. He washed the last of the black away from his eyes and stared at the greenish blond, scarred, man gazing back at him. He snaked his tongue along his bottom lip and ran a hand through his damp hair. Maybe he should slick back his hair? He shrugged his shoulders and slid out of his purple coat.

Opening the box, the Joker examined the suit nestled inside. It was black with purple pinstripes and with purple silk-like material on the inside of the jacket. The vest was purple and so was the tie. There was also a black fedora with a purple band encircling it.

The Joker hummed to himself as he changed clothes; the whole time he wondered what he'd do if Samantha didn't put on the dress. A smile crept upon his face. "Stubborn, moralistic, stubborn, good natured, stubborn, fighter, stubborn… that's what she is," he said to himself. The Joker unclipped his pocket watch from his clown suit and attached it to his new one. He also took out some of his knives and dropped them into the various pockets of his party suit.

He pushed away some of the thin packing paper, searching for something. "Now, wherrre isss…?" He spotted the small black box under the paper. The Joker picked it up and put it into his inner jacket pocket. He grabbed his fedora and did a fancy hat trick before plopping it on top of his head.

A few more minutes passed and his scars vanished underneath flesh-colored putty. He grinned and headed for the door. The Joker opened the door, not concerned if Samantha had been in the process of undressing or not. When he caught sight of her though, he did pause.

Samantha was slipping on the high heels and looked up when he entered. The Joker let out a low whistle. "My, my, myyyy," he said slowly.

The dress was dark purple, knee length, and had cape sleeves which fanned out and covered the wound on her shoulder. He stopped in front of her and reached down, grabbing both of Samantha's hands. He pulled her to a standing position and took a step back to look her over. Samantha refused to meet his eyes and kept her eyes trained on the floor. "Your neck's a little bare," the Joker said out of the blue. Samantha finally looked at him, confusion written in her eyes.

The Joker dipped one hand into his jacket pocket and brought out the little black box. His index finger twirled in the air, signaling for Samantha to turn around. She hesitated before slowly turning and lifted her hair away from her neck. The Joker took out a silver chained necklace with an amethyst jewel. He placed the necklace around Samantha's neck and closed the clasp.

Samantha let her hair cascade back down and inspected the jewel as the Joker walked his way back around to face her. She lifted her eyes up at him. "What is this; some kind of tracer or detonator to an implanted bomb?" she asked.

The Joker gave a sly grin and extended his elbow to her. "Shall we?"

Samantha slipped her arm into his elbow without a word. He gave a short laugh and walked with her out of the room. When they came into the living room, Samantha saw Alice and Tommy standing next to each other. Her friend's hair was pulled up and she wore a light blue, strapless dress and a matching blue shawl. She would have looked pretty if it hadn't been for the petrified expression on her face. She held her shawl in trembling hands.

Samantha went to Alice and gave her a comforting squeeze of the hand… and managed to pass the knife to her. Alice's blue eyes widened when she felt the cool metal touch her palm but she understood enough to wrap the knife into the folds of her shawl.

The Joker walked up to Tommy and wiped a speck of dust away from the man's shoulder. "You clean up nice, Tommy Boy."

Tommy nervously adjusted his neck tie. "Thanks; you too, Boss. I almost didn't recognize you."

The Joker's eyes glimmered darkly. "That's the idea." He wet his lips and chewed the inside of his cheek. "Now, uh, do you remember what I told you to do when we get to The Glitz?"

"Yes, Boss."

"Good." The Joker slapped Tommy on the back and turned to face the other men. "Ready every one?"

"Yes, sir."

The Joker cackled wildly and snatched Samantha over to his side. "Let's cause Chaossss!"

….

The Riddler stepped into his new suit for the party and adjusted the jacket. The suit was black with green pinstripes and had a green vest. He had sent Query out to get him a suit and she had come back with the perfect one. It even had a green neck tie, which Query had added a black question mark to. The outfit was completed with a black bowler hat encircled with a green band and his black mask.

Echo and Query watched Edward admire his new threads in front of the mirror. He held out his hand and Echo handed him his cane. The Riddler twirled it around before turning to face the two women. "How do I look?" he asked.

"Very suave," Query answered.

"Yeah, suave," Echo repeated.

Nigma flipped his hat in the air, caught it, rolled it on his arm, over his shoulder, and down his other arm, catching it and then placing the hat on his head. The women applauded him for the trick and he bowed. He let his can rest on his shoulder as he walked to the middle of the room. "Do you have your IDs?" he asked. They showed him their name tags, the plastic dimly reflecting the poor lighting. "Good, good, good." Nigma checked his watch. "The others are in place, now we must join them. Come along; we wouldn't want to be late for the ball."

….

Commissioner Gordon sat in the interrogation room, trying to get Harley Quinn to crack. He and other detectives had been at it since she'd been captured by Batman and still she refused to share any information that she had. But from the sound of things, it seemed that the Joker didn't really tell Harley anything about his plans. Either it was a smart move on the Joker's part or because he really didn't want to let Harley know anything. But there just had to be something; a minor detail, anything!

"Quinn, please!" Gordon begged.

Harley lifted her head from her hands. "I honestly don't know! He didn't tell me anything!"

"Nothing? Nothing at all? Come on, Quinn; there's something you must have heard but didn't think much about! Think!"

Harley shook her head the entire time Gordon had been speaking, but then she suddenly stopped the motion and seemed to be thinking. "…He…he mention something about a party to Tommy. I overheard them talking."

"A party?"

"Yeah. That's it; I don't know anything else."

Jim Gordon looked at her intensely. "You're sure?"

Harley held her palm up like a witness in court swearing to tell the truth. "Scouts honor," she said. Gordon quickly stood from the table and walked out of the room. "You're welcome!" Harley yelled at his retreating back.

Detective Yin met Gordon n the observation room. "A party?" Yin asked.

"The only party going on with a lot of publicity is The Glitz Charity Ball."

"Aren't you and your wife supposed to be going there tonight, sir?"

"Yeah, but instead of my wife, I'll be taking at least two dozen officers to go with me."

"I'll get right on it."

….

Bruce Wayne stood in front of his full length mirror, trying to figure out how to put on his neck tie. "The fox chased the rabbit- no. The rabbit goes under-, over-, around the tree? Something about a rabbit hole?" He grew frustrated and jerked the tie off to start over. Alfred walked n just as Bruce managed to mess up again. "Ah, Alfred; thank God. Could you, uh…" He gestured to his tie.

There was a slight smile on the butler's face as he reached out and helped Bruce. "No matter how many times I show you, you always manage to forget," Alfred said as he slide the tie into place, fitting it snuggly around Bruce's neck.

"That's why I keep you around, Alfred; to help me out," Bruce chuckled. "Speaking of which; what's the name of my date again?"

"Bella, the Italian supermodel."

"Thanks, Alfred."

"Very good, sir. The car is waiting outside and the batsuit is in the hidden compartment of the trunk."

Bruce smiled and walked away. "Good night, Alfred."

"Good night, Master Bruce."

…

One of the clown thugs had jacked a very fancy car and was waiting for the Joker, Samantha, Tommy, and Alice. Tommy led Alice to the back seat behind the driver and slid into the next seat as the Joker and Samantha sat in front. The Joker turned in his seat to look at Tommy. "Did your cousin, Jar-Head-?"

"Jervis," Tommy corrected.

"Jervis. Add my name to the list like you asked him to?"

"He called me this morning to tell me it was done."

The Joker moved his body back around, chuckling.

"What name?" Samantha asked.

"Why our names, of course. Joseph and Samantha Kerr. But my buddies call me 'Joe' Kerr." He laughed and put the car in drive.

"_Samantha Kerr? …Ugh,"_ Samantha thought to herself. She twisted around to look at Alice. "You okay back there?"

Alice smiled nervously. "For now," she answered.

The Joker saw Samantha smile back. She turned to face the front, sneaking a glance at the Joker. He grinned and returned his eyes to the road. _"He actually looks…nice," _Samantha thought. His driving was at least decent for the moment. "What; no speeding? No driving in other lanes or sharp turns?" Samantha jabbed.

The Joker smirked, licked his lips and gave a dry chuckle. "No need to, uh, draw anyyy attention to ourselves yet."

Samantha sat back in her seat and stared out the window as she fiddled with her wedding ring.

….

The Riddler drove his car down the street with Query and Echo. The other thugs were already there at The Glitz. "We'll have to get in through the back door of The Glitz," the Riddler told the girls.

"Right, boss."

Nigma felt a slight twinge at being called 'boss', considering he had hated calling his late Boss by that name. He let it go and concentrated on the traffic. Soon The Glitz came into view. Nigma steered the car to the back of the building and parked. He waited for the women to climb out of the vehicle. "Time to put the plan in motion," he said in a low voice.

He put a hand to his ear and pressed on the tiny earpiece inside. "Is everyone still on task?" he asked. All the hirelings answered back, using their earpieces. "Carry on." Nigma walked to the back door and paused. He scratched the back of his head with the top of his cane. "Hmmm… Don't remember_ that_ being in the blue prints." A small entry code panel was on the wall beside the door.

"Oh, great!" Query whined. "How will we get in now?"

"Have a little faith, my dear," Nigma told her. As he spoke, he began to press buttons on the panel. A low 'click' was heard and the door opened. "Voila!" he said and stepped aside for the women to enter first. He followed quickly behind them. "Get to your stations," he told them. Echo and Query went their separate ways.

The Riddler was left alone for the time being; he wouldn't come into play until the right moment. His gloved hands rested on the top of his cane, calmly waiting. He inhaled deeply through his nose and smelled the food in the kitchen. His ears could hear the music drifting in from the ball room. A memory of played itself out in his head. Samantha and Edward were walking by The Glitz and Samantha had mentioned that she wanted to go there one day.

The Riddler's shoulders sagged and he lowered his head. Red hair fell into his line of view and he brushed it away. All he wanted was to hold her again. Kiss her. His grip tightened around his cane as he imagined it being the Joker's neck. Soon, very soon, they would meet again and it would be for the last time. No tricks, no thugs, no running off to think of a better plan; it would be him and the Joker.

….

The Joker pulled over to the front entrance and parked the car, keeping the engine running for the valet. Photographers and reporters were lined up at the entrance. Samantha unbuckled her seatbelt as the Joker got out and came around to her door. He opened it wide and helped her out of the car. Tommy did the same for Alice, discreetly holding a gun in his side pocket and pressed against her back.

Samantha caught a glimpse of the valet and recognized him as one of the Joker's former thugs. The Joker smirked when the valet made eye contact with him. "Park it somewhere for an easy getaway , Red," he instructed him.

Red nodded and smiled knowingly. "Yes, sir." He went to the car.

The Joker placed his hand on the small of Samantha's back and guided her to the double doors of the club. As they came closer to the photographers and people with camera, the Joker pulled his fedora low over his eyes, casting a shadow over his face.

The man with the guest list stood right by the entrance to the ballroom. He looked absolutely bored. "Names?" he asked in a tired voice. He wasn't even looking at them.

"Joseph and Samantha Kerr with our cousins, Alice and Thomas Kerr."

The man limply gestured for them to go in while putting an X next to their names. The Joker couldn't help but chuckle as they passed him. As soon as they entered the ballroom, they heard the music rise in volume and saw many people already dancing. There was a small band on a stage towards the back, playing Twenties songs and swing music. One member was singing the words to "Feeling Good", oozing seduction and charm into every lyric.

The Joker scanned the area, locating his minions and seeing they were in their places. He turned to look at Tommy. "You know what to do; so why are you still here?" he asked.

Tommy flinched and began to pull Alice away from Samantha and the Joker. Samantha felt her heart leap. "What is he doing? Where is he taking her?" Samantha's hand latched onto Tommy by the sleeve. Tommy looked at the Joker uncertainly. The Joker gave him a look that told him to keep going.

Tommy jerked his arm away as the Joker firmly grasped Samantha by the shoulders and pulled her towards him. "Come on, honey, let's let Tommy do his job."

"What job?"

The Joker put his arms around Samantha as if in an affectionate hug, but really it was to hold her back. "Tommy's just gonna take Alice someplace and keep an eye on her while you stay with me and enjoy the party." He rested his chin on the groove of her neck and planted a few kisses there, trying to blend in with the crowd. If Samantha kept raising her voice… The Joker leaned in and whispered in Samantha's ear. "Keep your voice down or I might give Tommy permission to seriously hurt Alice. Maybe give her a few scars…" he snickered.

Samantha calmed down a bit and watched as Tommy led Alice away. Alice looked over her shoulder at Samantha and fiddled with her shawl, reminding her that she had the knife.

"Sooo," the Joker drawled as he slowly spun Samantha around to face him. "Want a drink?" he offered. Samantha groaned and tugged her hand away from his. He jerked her back. "Hey! Remember what I said; no escaping."

"You better let me go or people will start to stare."

The Joker's eyes moved around the room to see if anyone was looking. He let go of her arms and placed his hand at the small of Samantha's back again. "Let's get a drink, hm?" he said in a forced, pleasant voice.

They walked to the refreshment table and Samantha watched all the people living their lives, not knowing that they might all soon die. Speaking of which; why hadn't the Joker burst into the place, guns blazing, like he did at Bruce's penthouse?

"What are you waiting for?" Samantha asked the Joker.

He held out a glass for her to take before answering. "I'm waiting for all the guests to show up." Samantha almost took the drink from him but stopped. When she didn't take the glass, the Joker lifted his eyebrows and raised the drink. "Cheers." He tipped back his head and downed the drink in one motion. The Joker let out a satisfied sigh and licked his lips. "Tastyyyy," he said, locking eyes with Samantha.

**(there we go, folks! There's only five more chapters left! *gasp!* Tell me your thoughts by pressing that little button below and sending me a review because I'm not a psychic and can't read your thoughts. Please review!)**


	21. Chapter 21

**(Joker: "On the first day of Christmas, a psycho gave to me-!"  
My Purple Skies: "Would you shut up already?"  
Joker: "Hmm; let me think about thissss. Uh, hm, No! Ha ha ha ha ha!"  
My Purple Skies: "Don't make me get the duct tape!"  
Joker: "You wouldn't have the guts."  
My Purple Skies: "Grr!")**

**[So, I got a lot of feedback from the last chapter. *Yea!* Quite a few people begged for a trilogy to this series and I'm glad to tell you that there is already a third story in the works. I'm having a bit more difficulty writing the third book, but it's a working progress. I'm happy that so many of you are enjoying this story so far and have wanted it to continue!]**

**[Listen to 'Sway' by Michael Buble for the first part of this chapter. As soon as that song ends, listen to 'Sooner or Later' by Madonna. Just imagine that song being sung by a man and replace that lyrics "I'll get my man" with "I'll get my woman" and it's nearly a perfect song for the Joker and Samantha.]**

Chapter Twenty- One

Tommy looked a little jittery as he led Alice to a less occupied area of the building where there were small private party rooms. It was making Alice nervous, considering Tommy's finger was on the trigger of the gun that was currently aimed at her back. "I know I'm in no position to ask, but could you please calm down?" Alice asked anxiously.

"Sorry," Tommy apologized.

…

The band began to play an all too familiar tune, causing Samantha's stomach to tie itself into knots. The Joker grinned from ear to ear when the words to 'Sway' were heard. He turned to face Samantha, his smile's meaning far too obvious to be mistaken for anything else.

"No," Samantha said quickly.

"Aw, come on, Esmeralda," he begged playfully, taking her by both hands and backing up towards the dance floor.

Samantha tried to step away, but he pulled harder and she bumped into his chest. "Esmera_ldaaaa,_" the Joker sing-songed. He pinned her against his chest and continued to stare down at her, grinning. Samantha couldn't believe what she was seeing. The Joker's attitude had suddenly morphed into Allan Jordan. "Come on; it is our song after all."

Samantha stared at him in confusion, studying his face and eyes. "I cannot understand you," she said.

The Joker flashed her a charming grin and placed a hand on Samantha's hip and lifted her hand in a dance position. "And you nor anyone else ever will," he said in a low voice.

…

Bruce Wayne walked into The Glitz with dark-eyed Bella at his arm. Bella had told him she'd be dressed in a golden flapper dress, a headband with a single golden feather and long strings of faux pearls wrapped around her neck; the very picture of a rich flapper girl in the 1920s. To match, he'd chosen to come in a gold pinstriped suit and gold tie. He wore his rich, playboy smile and looked down at his gorgeous date to find she was thoroughly enjoying the sights and music.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked.

Bella nodded eagerly. "Si, Signore Wayne!"

They danced together to the song 'Sway' and Bruce quickly discovered that dancing was not one of Bella's talents. He was about to make the excuse of being thirsty when his attention was caught by another couple dancing. To be more specific, he was focused more on the woman's face. She looked like Samantha Reads! Bruce maneuvered himself and his date to dance closer to the couple. He tried to sneak some inconspicuous glances at the woman, but Bella noticed his attention was wondering.

"Signore Wayne? Something wrong?"

Bruce tore his gaze away and cleared his throat. "Oh, no. It's nothing." But he kept glancing when Bella wasn't looking. The man and woman weren't bad at dancing. The man was definitely good and guided the woman almost a bit possessively. Bruce almost didn't see that the woman wasn't smiling. He found that odd knowing that dozens of women would have gladly traded places with her to have a better dancing partner.

Due to Bruce not focusing on where he was dancing, he bumped into another couple and looked away to apologize to them. He lost sight of the two among the other dancers. Bruce twirled Bella so she wouldn't see him anxiously searching the crowd. He soon spotted them and stopped spinning Bella.

….

The Joker pressed Samantha against him and then twirled her around. He wasn't a fancy dancer or anything; he just knew how to dance well enough to blend in with the crowd. He was a natural blender.

"_**Other dancers may be on the floor,  
Dear, but my eyes will see only you,  
Only you have that magic technique,  
When we sway I go weak;  
I can hear the sound of violins long before it begins,  
Make me thrill as only you know how;  
Sway me smooth, sway me now…"**_

Samantha's lack of protests had surprised him. Not that he was complaining. He squeezed Samantha's hip and she narrowed her eyes at him. He chuckled and spun her around once, twice, and stopped Samantha so her back was pressed against his chest. Samantha's arms ended up being crossed over her front and the Joker's long limbs had wrapped around her while his hands cupped her elbows. "Having fun?" he whispered in her ear, slightly swaying the both of them from side to side.

"I would enjoy this better if I was dancing with Edward," she hissed. The Joker tensed behind her and Samantha could have sworn she heard him growl.

"Still attached to Eddie, huh?" he grunted. He twirled her around to face him again. "Eddie's forgotten about you, honey. He's probably decided that you're not worth his time."

Samantha's voice trembled as she fought to keep her anger under control. "Don't say that."

"Why? You know I'm right." The Joker poked Samantha in the chest where her heart was located. "Deep down in there, you know I'm right. Just stop kidding yourself, Samantha. You're. _**Married**_. To. _**Me**_. It's time that you accepted that."

….

Bruce felt Bella slap his arm. "So you arah lookin' atah that woman, huh?" she asked angrily. "You suppose to beah lookin' atah me!"

Bruce tried to apologize. "She looks like someone I haven't seen in a while."

Bella shook her head in disbelief. Her Italian accent became thicker with each word. She stormed off, muttering something in her native language. Only the phrase 'American Playboy' was heard by Bruce. He did feel kinda bad, Bella was really a nice girl, but Bruce was bothered by how similar the woman looked to Samantha. The bad thing was that she was never still long enough for hm to get a good look at her face.

….

The song 'Sway' was dwindling to an end and a much slower song blended itself from the ending into its own melody. Dancers held each other closer and slowed to match the tempo.

"_**Sooner or later you're gonna be mine,  
Sooner or later you're gonna be fine.  
Baby, it's time that you face it,  
I always get my woman."**_

Samantha was pressed against the Joker's thin body, held there by his arms. "Juuust relaaax, Samantha," he murmured in a sing-song voice. He lay his chin on top of her head and let his eyes scan the room. Not all of the guests were there yet, so the Joker continued to dance with Samantha. He absent-mindedly stroked Samantha's hand with his thumb. Her skin was sooo…soft…__

"Sooner or later you're gonna decide,  
Sooner or later there's nowhere to hide.  
Baby, it's time, so why waste it in chatter?  
Let's settle the matter.  
Baby, you're mine on a platter,  
I always get my woman."

Samantha was struggling to keep her breathing even; she didn't want the Joker to make a remark about how she was breathing a bit heavily. But with every lyric Samantha heard, the more shocking it became at how similar the song was to her and the Joker. The Joker gave a quiet moan and pulled Samantha closer against him. She tried to put an inch of space between them, but he wasn't going to allow her that. __

"But if you insist, babe, the challenge delights me.  
The more you resist, babe, the more it excites me.  
And no one I've kissed, babe, ever fights me again.  
If you're on my list, it's just a question of when.  
When I get a yen, then baby, Amen.  
I'm counting to ten, and then ..."

…

Bruce was distracted by a tap on his shoulder. He looked at the hand and followed the arm to see who it was connected to. Bruce smiled uneasily when he realized it was the new district attorney, Janet Van Dorn. "Miss Van Dorn; great to see you."

"It's good to see you too. I never got the chance to thank you for the fundraiser you gave me a while back."

"Happy to have helped." Bruce stole another glance at the woman to find she and her partner had disappeared again. Bruce groaned inwardly and brought his attention back to Van Dorn. It wasn't that he didn't like her; it was that Van Dorn was dead set against Batman and that was something that just gave Bruce a headache.

….__

"I'm gonna love you like nothing you've known,  
I'm gonna love you, and you all alone.  
Sooner is better than later but lover,  
I'll hover, I'll plan."

The Joker drew his head back to look Samantha in the face and saw the uneasy expression she wore. He grinned and lifted both her hands to be in between Samantha and the Joker while he held them. "Samantha,… smile for me…"

"_**This time I'm not only getting, I'm holding my woman."**_

The Joker tilted his head to the side and moved in for a kiss, but stopped when his eyes caught sight of someone behind Samantha. He continued to stare past Samantha as his mouth slowly curled into a sinister smile. "Our final guest has arrived." He chuckled and wet his lips. "Come on." The Joker grasped Samantha by the forearm and began to drag her out of the crowd of dancers.

Samantha craned her neck around to see what had grabbed the Joker's attention. The first thing she spotted was Bruce Wayne. Samantha's heart jumped. Had he seen her? Samantha nearly tripped and returned her attention to the front. "Where are we going?" she asked.

The Joker gestured towards his face. "I have to finish getting ready for the party. Seriously, Samantha, did you really expect me to go out in public without any make-up?" he giggled. If Samantha didn't know any better, she could have sworn she felt the corners of her mouth twitch.

The Joker twisted and weaved through the crowd until he came to the men's room. He poked his head inside. "Anyone here?" When there was no answer, the Joker pushed the door open and pulled Samantha in with him. He locked the door and brought a hand gun out from one of his inner pockets. He eyed the bathroom stalls. Since both of his hands were occupied, the Joker used his foot to shove the doors open, his gun ready. Once he was satisfied that all the stalls were empty, he turned to face the mirror and sink.

The Joker swung Samantha into the corner. He ran his tongue over his lips and grinned at her. "Don't move," he told her, snickering. The Joker reached into his pockets and dug out two small tubes of white and black paint. He also pulled out a tube of red lipstick.

The Joker set his gun down on the sink counter, keeping a watchful eye on Samantha, and removed his jacket. He took off his fedora and undid his necktie. As he worked on the first few buttons of his shirt, he saw Samantha visibly stiffen. The Joker chuckled at the look of alarm on her face. "Relax, sweetheart." He moved the shirt's collar away from his neck and grabbed the tube of white paint. "I'd choose a more romantic place for that. This doesn't exactly put anyone in the _mood_ for love."

Samantha watched as he peeled off the putty that covered his gruesome scars and applied the familiar face paint. Even with the scars, he was still handsome. When did he get them? Was it soon after she and 'Allan' had parted ways; or had it been years later?

The Joker smeared a bloody smile across his mouth and over his scars. He turned his head to the left and right, examining his reflection, before turning to face Samantha. "How do I look?" he asked, extending his arms out and offering a cheesy grin.

"Do you** really** want me to answer that?"

"Yeah, sure; give it to me straight."

"You look like a three year old who got into his mommy's make-up box."

The Joker's grin widened as he put his fedora back onto his head. He shrugged on his jacket and buttoned his shirt. He started to hum a nondescript tune as he redid his necktie. "Well, for a uh, guy who never made it to beauty sch_ool_, I think I did pretty well," he cackled. Samantha rolled her eyes.

…

The Riddler risked a glance out at the dance floor and his eyes gleamed when he saw the new district attorney had finally arrived. He ducked behind a marble pillar and pressed the button on his earpiece. "Now," he said urgently. As soon as his hirelings voiced their responses, he stepped away from his hiding place. The sounds of gunfire did not alarm him. He simply straightened his green tie and walked towards the sounds.

….

Just as the Joker finished with his tie, he and Samantha heard gunshots. Samantha's eyes widened and she turned to look at him. "Did you tell them to start?"

The Joker's mouth was open as he pushed his tongue against the inside of his right cheek. He blinked and closed his mouth. "That's why you don't plan, because things _neeever turn_ out the way their supposed to." He picked up his gun and latched onto Samantha's arm. "Come on," he growled through his teeth. He unlocked the door and shoved it open with his shoulder.

….

Van Dorn did not know what had just happened. One second she was talking to Bruce Wayne, the next she heard guns being fired and Bruce was gone. She looked to the middle of the dance floor to see a tall, thin, man with a golden cane, red hair underneath a black bowler hat, and a black mask. He walked with his head held high and an arrogant smirk on his lips. The crowd parted as the man made his way to the center of the floor and stopped.

"Greetings to you all, citizens of Gotham," the man announced with his hands atop the golden cane, "I hope that I don't seem rude, but I, heh heh, I just couldn't help but crash your little party. I even invited a few friends of mine; they're scattered throughout the building to make sure no one leaves early and no one gets in. You see, there's someone here I've been wanting to meet."

Van Dorn felt someone bump into her shoulder. She glanced up to see Commissioner Gordon. "Commissioner…," she whispered.

"I have officers stationed everywhere. Only problem is, we were under the impression that we'dbe up against the Joker; not the Riddler," Gordon informed her in a low voice.

"Does it make a difference who's here?"

"Well, if the Joker's not here, then where is he?"

"Point taken."

The Riddler spotted Van Dorn and strolled towards her, swinging his cane. "Ah, Miss Van Dorn; there you are!" he took her by the hand. "At last we meet." He kissed her hand and let it fall back to her side. "I've just been dying to meet you! We have so much to discuss. In fact," the Riddler clamped his hand around the back of Van Dorn's neck, "I'm going to have to take you away from this party so we can talk." Commissioner Gordon stepped forward and felt the top of the Riddler's cane jab into his chest. It knocked the air out of him and he stumbled back. "I wouldn't try that if I were you, Mr. Commissioner. It could end very badly."

Gordon felt his fists shaking with rage. He had already lost one D.A. to an insane criminal, he wasn't about to let it happen again!

Suddenly, a single gunshot was heard from behind the Riddler. He cocked an eyebrow and turned to look. The Joker stood with his arm raised above his head, gun in hand. The clown grinned impishly. "Well, how else was I supposed to get your attention?" he giggled.

The Riddler smirked and rest his cane on his shoulder. "I knew you'd be here. You wouldn't be able to resist a set up like this."

The Joker whooped with laughter and leaned against a pillar to stay standing. "You _knew_ I'd be here? Or did you cheat with that information like you did in grade school, huh, Eddie?" the Joker taunted. Edward's face turned beet red. How much of his information did the Joker have? A movement from the Joker's arm piqued his interest. It looked like the clown had just pushed something further behind the pillar so it wouldn't be seen by him. His curiosity was raised, but his anger at the Joker won over.

The Joker straightened up and strolled over, lazily handling his gun as he kept eye contact with Nigma. He opened his mouth as if to say something and paused. His painted face took on a puzzled expression as he gazed at the Riddler's suit. The Joker's face turned into a mix of a pout and amusement. "I was told that it was custom made," he playfully whined.

The Riddler cautiously glanced down at his own suit and then at the Joker's. Even though the ties, vests, stripes, and hat bands were different colors, there was no denying that they were of the same style. The Joker wagged a finger at Nigma. "Now, just because you want to be like me, doesn't mean you should dress up like me," he teased.

Edward felt his face flush and his fury grow. "How dare you?" he hissed.

The Joker had seemingly lost interest in Nigma and was now looking at Van Dorn. He shook the end of his gun at her like he would if it had been his knife. "Sooo, you're the new district attorney? Hm… well, I gotta say, you're a lot better looking than the last one. I can tell that we're going to have a lot of fun." He reached out to grasp Van Dorn by the chin but had his hand slapped away by Nigma. The Joker looked at Edward with an amused expression. "Are we in a bad mood, Eddie?"

"Where's Samantha?"

The Joker squinted his left eye at Nigma. "Do you really think I'm telling you that?"

"Where are your thugs?" Nigma snapped. His grip on Van Dorn's neck grew tighter.

"Why so quick to assume that I have hired help?" the Joker lifted his brows and hunched his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug. "Hm?"

"You, my hated clown, do not have the mental ability to pull off jobs on your own; which is why you have to hire thugs."

The Joker's face slightly twitched. "I hire thugs becauuussse-ah my ideas are on a grand scale. You're just jealous that you can't find anyone willing to work for you."

"I don't need thugs," the Riddler pointed to his head, "I have everything I need in here."

The Joker snorted. "And there lies your problem; there's nothing in there."

…

Samantha had her back pressed against the pillar as she listened to the two men. In a way, their argument sounded so childish that she was tempted to laugh. She didn't dare though. Samantha was waiting for the right moment to sneak off and go after Alice and Tommy, but the Joker kept sneaking glances in her direction to make sure she was still there. She needed him to be distracted by Edward.

…

Gordon nodded to Detective Yin. The signal set off a chain reaction of two dozen cops pulling out their guns and aiming at Nigma and the Joker. The Joker had a mildly surprised look on his face as he gazed at the cops. "Oh no!" he cried in a mocking voice. "The cops have us surrounded; what are we going to do? I guess it's back to Arkham for me! Seeing as how you'd be new in Arkham, Eddie, I could give you a tour of the place, maybe even be cellmates; wouldn't that be fun?" The Riddler groaned with disgust.

…

Samantha wanted to scream at the police, warn them that the Joker wasn't what they needed to worry about. The remote in his pocket was the thing to worry over. She had seen him slip it into his pocket just before they left the hideout. Couldn't Commissioner Gordon sense that something was off? Couldn't he see that the Joker was too calm?

…

The Joker sighed and ran his tongue over his lips. "Since the, uh, Commissionerrrrr decided to show off his boys, I think I should show off mine." He extended both arms out like he was about to conduct an orchestra. "Boooysss!"

Instantly the Joker's men were out of hiding, pulling off disguises and bringing their weapons into view. Some of the cops stiffened when they felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed against their backs. The few cops who were not covered by thugs, continued to aim at the Joker but their eyes shifted all around them. The Riddler smirked. "Looks like you're a few men short," he informed the Joker without looking at him. The Joker acted like this bit of news didn't faze him.

…

Samantha watched the Joker's free hand. He was itching to push the remote's button; she could tell by the way his fingers were constantly dancing, always moving towards his pocket, but then snatching it back like he didn't think it was the right moment. She could practically feel the energy radiating off of the Joker.

…

The Joker glanced back at Samantha and flashed her a devilish grin, letting her know that he was still in control of the situation.

"_What is he looking at?" _the Riddler wondered. He took a step to the side to catch a glimpse of what had the Joker's attention. His eyes widened at the sight of Samantha. "Samantha?"

The Joker bared his teeth and growled as he clamped his hand around the Riddler's forearm. His nails seemed to dig into Nigma's skin as he slung him as far away as possible. The sudden movement caused Edward to lose his hold on Van Dorn and she scrambled to put as much distance as possible from the two mad men.

Almost instantly, a black shape dropped from the second floor balcony and rose to its full height. The Joker knew who it was before one of Nigma's men shouted it out for all to hear. "Batman!" The announcement was soon followed by the sound of a gun going off and pandemonium broke out. Cops were struggling with thugs from both sides; party-goers were screaming and running to find an exit but discovered that the thugs were blocking the doors.

The two criminals glanced around as they watched the situation change dramatically. The Riddler clenched his teeth while the Joker laughed as though this were the funniest thing he'd ever seen. His laughter was cut off when Batman grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hoisted him into the air. "What were you planning, Joker?" Batman growled.

"Telling would only spoil everything!" the Joker cackled. He was rewarded with being slammed against the pillar behind him. He winced and whooped with laughter. The Joker cast a quick glance to where Samantha would have been standing, but she wasn't there.

"Where's Samantha Reads?" Batman shouted.

The Joker grinned and grunted as he shifted his neck around in Batman's grasp. "_That_ is a very good question."

The only indication Batman had that someone was behind him, was a glance the Joker gave over Batman's shoulder. The clown's mouth parted to form a sickening grin. A hard blow was brought down on the dark knight's head and his grasp on the Joker loosened. The clown slipped through his fingers and landed on his feet.

Batman whirled around to find Nigma with his cane poised above his head, ready to deliver another blow. Batman's hand blocked the cane as it came down again. "Nigma? You're with the Joker?" he asked, mystified.

Nigma grunted with effort as he tried to complete his goal of bashing Batman's head in. "No, Bat Brains; he was just lucky enough to be your distraction!" The Riddler jerked his cane out of Batman's hold and swung at his ribs. The handle made the connection and Batman felt pain flare up his side.

The Joker leaned against the pillar, arms folded across his chest, a wicked grin on his face. He pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. "Weeeell, I wish I could stick around, but I'm late for a very important date with the Misses. Sooo, I'll just be, uh, skipping out and leaving you two to your little chat. So long!" He gave a wave and skipped off as if he were not in the midst of a panicking crowd.

The Riddler's anger exploded at the Joker as he watched him vanish, which caused him to not notice the fist aimed for his stomach. He felt the air rush out of his lungs and he doubled over. Nigma struggled to regain a few breaths of oxygen as Batman twisted one of his arms behind his back. The vigilante fought to wrench the cane out of Nigma's hands, but the man's hold on it was surprisingly strong. Batman wouldn't have suspected a thin man like Nigma to possess such strength.

"Nigma, if you give up now, you can have a chance at receiving a small sentence! Do this for Samantha!"

That seemed to infuriate the Riddler. He thrashed about in Batman's grip. "Don't you get it, Batman! This _**is **_for Samantha! I'm doing this all for her! Why can't you understand that?" Batman felt Nigma's arm slip free from him. Edward rammed his elbow into Batman's face. The dark knight stumbled back, dazed, too late to defend himself from the kick Nigma sent to his spine. Batman fell to his knees and collapsed under another attack to his injured ribs.

"I thought you were better than this?" Nigma taunted. "It's no wonder Rachel Dawes didn't survive. She had an incompetent fool coming to her doomed rescue!" A growl tore out of Batman's throat. He quickly regained his footing and glared at Nigma through the eyes of his cowl. "Oh, I'm sorry; did I say something that I shouldn't have said?" the Riddler asked with mock worry.

Batman watched Nigma's body movement and recognized the tell-tale signs that Edward was going to run; after the Joker no doubt. The Riddler confirmed this when he suddenly sprinted n the same direction the Joker had skipped down only moments earlier. Batman dashed after him, his ink black cape billowing out behind him. A thug of the Riddler's jumped at Batman and was swatted away like a fly.

As Batman continued to chase after Nigma, he caught sight of a cop pursuing another thug. The thug wasn't paying much attention to what was in front of him. His head kept craning around to look back at the cop. Batman stretched out his arm and clotheslined the thug. The man chocked and landed painfully on his back. He gave a low groan as the cop quickly whipped out his cuffs and clamped them around the thug's wrists. Batman didn't stop to watch or be thanked, he kept running after the Riddler.

Nigma turned his head to see if he was still being followed. He let out a frustrated grunt at the sight of the vigilante. He spotted a set of doors ahead of him and smirked. Since he'd studied the blueprints of the building, he knew that those doors could be barricaded by a metal pole. If he could get through, he was sure the doors would delay Batman long enough for him to catch up to the Joker and Samantha.

Batman was closer now. Nigma increased his speed and shoved open the doors with his body, not bothering to slow down. He pivoted around and closed the doors. Without pausing, he slid the metal pole through the bars, effectively blocking any opening of the doors. Barely a second later, the doors trembled from Batman throwing himself against them. The Riddler laughed at his attempt. He paused long enough to catch his breath before starting to run again. He couldn't remember ever having run so much in his entire life, even when he'd been a jewel thief; of course, he hadn't come to Gotham before.

It was less occupied in this part of the building due to the Glitz going through renovations. In fact, he couldn't see a single person…but he was only looking for two specific people; his angel and the devil who stole her from him.

**(Okay; four more chapters to go! Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Was it suspenseful enough? And let me know what you think of a third installment in this series. Much love to all my readers!)**


	22. Chapter 22

**(I can't believe it; only three more chapters to go! Holy Cabooses, Batman!  
Joker: "Please tell me you didn't just say that."  
Me: "What if I did? Got a problem with that?"  
Joker: "Yeah, I do."  
Me: "So what are you gonna do about it?"  
Joker: "I'll sing 'You're My Cuppy Cake' over and over and over while you sleep tonight."  
Me: 0.0 "NOOOO! I take it back!"  
Joker: *cackles* "You have to say something that I want you to say for me to remove the punishment."  
Me: "What would that be?"  
Joker: *pretends to think hard* "Mm; how about…. 'Love that Joker?'"  
Me: "What? No way!"  
Joker: *begins to sing* **_**"You're my cuppy cake, sugar plumb,-!"**_**  
Me: "LOVE THAT JOKER!"  
Joker: "!")**

Chapter Twenty-Two

Batman stopped trying to break the doors down and silently cursed himself for not reloading his batsuit with small explosives. He nearly lashed out when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. He relaxed when he saw it was only Commissioner Gordon, Detective Yin, and five other officers. "The Joker and Nigma went through this door and locked it. I need to find another way into that hall," Batman explained. Gordon began shouting orders to his team as they moved away from the doors with the dark knight.

….

"Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?" Samantha kept repeating to herself in a quiet whisper. She kept her eyes peeled for any of the Joker's men as she searched for Alice and Tommy. She finally arrived at the hall where the private party rooms were and counted six in all. Samantha tip-toed to each room and pressed her ear against each door to listen for any signs of it being occupied. Each one sounded empty until she came to the second to last door. Her breath hitched when she recognized Tommy's voice.

"The Joker's not that bad a guy; I mean, he keeps his promises and all," Tommy was saying. Samantha took a deep breath and tried the knob, surprised that the door was unlocked. Well, Tommy was never really bright.

As soon as the door had opened, Tommy swung around and aimed his gun. Samantha lifted her hands to show she was harmless. The motion caused a slight throbbing to course through her injured arm. "Whoa; Tommy! It's me!"

Tommy immediately lowered the gun. "Samantha? Where's the Boss?" he asked, glancing nervously behind Samantha for any sign of the Joker.

Samantha's arms slowly lowered back to her sides. She took a step into the room. She noticed that Alice's right hand was handcuffed to the armchair that she was sitting in. Probably a precaution the Joker had told Tommy to do. "The Joker told me to come and get you. The Riddler showed up, so he's a little preoccupied at the moment. He said for us to head for the car and meet him back at the hideout."

Tommy nodded and moved towards Alice, but then paused. He turned to face Samantha. "Why the sudden change of attitude towards the Joker?"

Samantha waved away the question. "No time to explain; just move!"

Tommy jumped into gear and again turned his back to her. He withdrew a silver key out of his pants' pocket and inserted the key into the handcuffs keyhole. While he was focused on uncuffing Alice, Samantha came behind him and joined her hands together to make a giant fist. She drew her hands back and brought them down right between Tommy's neck and head. Tommy lurched forward and stumbled over his feet. He tripped and his forehead collided with the wall beside Alice. His eyes rolled back into his head and his body limply slide down to the floor.

Samantha hurried over to give the key a final twist and undid the clasp from her friend's wrist. Alice jumped out of the chair and stared at Samantha in shock. Samantha quickly checked Tommy's pulse. "Sorry, Tommy," Samantha murmured, sincerely, to Tommy's unconscious form. Tommy would be fine; he would just have a splitting head ache when he woke up. Samantha grabbed Alice by the hand and the two of them ran out of the room.

Samantha wanted to get Alice out of the building, away from the Joker, away from Gotham, and away from herself. She blamed her own stupidity on getting Alice in the predicament they were in now. Samantha looked back at her friend to see Alice was getting winded. She decided to let Alice rest for just a moment, only long enough to catch her breath.

Alice gratefully took the opportunity and bent over, hands on her knees, gasping for air. Samantha stood alert, her heart hammering, and ready to run at the slightest indication that something was wrong. Her sixth sense kicked in a split second before she felt his hand clamp around her arm and shove her against the wall.

Alice jumped and let out a terrified scream. The Joker glared murderously and pointed at her. "Don'**t-ah**! Move!" he growled. Judging by the horrified look on Alice's face, he didn't expect her to make any movement at all. He turned his attention back to Samantha. "Wha**t-ah** did I tell youuu no**t-ah **to do; hm?"

Samantha remained silent. The Joker was smiling, but his eyes were black and she felt his anger radiating off of his body. He didn't take her silence too well. The Joker shook her by the shoulders and raised his voice. **"WHAT DID I TELL YOU TO DO!" **

Alice gave a small whimper as Samantha took her time answering the Joker. She nervously wet her dry lips and glanced down at the floor before making herself look into his eyes again. "You told me… not to escape."

The Joker grabbed hold of her chin. "That's riiight. And what are you doing? It looks to me like you're escaping." He pushed his tongue against the inside of his mouth and shifted his weight around on his feet before continuing to speak. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't one of the wedding vows, 'to obey'?" The Joker licked his lips and cocked his head to the side, eyebrows raised. "Hm?"

"You weren't exactly in mind when the wedding vows were created," Samantha said, coldly.

The Joker chewed on the inside of his cheek and the skin near his nose twitched. He gave a forced laugh. "That sense of humor is starting to show up more often… I like that." He pressed against Samantha, pinning her to the wall. "What did I tell you would happen if you, uh, tried to run?" The Joker slowly pulled out his gun and tapped her on the cheek with its barrel. Samantha was quiet. "Don't make me repeat myself…"

Samantha's green eyes flickered over to Alice and returned to meet his gaze. "You said… Alice would die."

The Joker smiled, evilly, and slightly nodded. "_Mm-hmmmm_… Care to take aaa _wiiild_ gues_**s-ah**_ at what I'm about to do?" Samantha watched with widened eyes as he extended his arm, without looking away from her, and aimed the gun at Alice. He cocked the gun, finger on the trigger, and a big, psychotic, grin on his face.

Alice stood frozen where she stood. Now she understood why people would stand there when death was staring them in the face. Her brain and muscles lost communication with each other. Her head screamed 'Run!' but her legs never got the message. She remembered the knife Samantha had given her, but she knew she wouldn't be able to use it. Any movement on Alice's part would cause the Joker to pull the trigger sooner. Why was he taking his time with her death!

The Joker was still staring at Samantha, watching her eyes as they filled with panic. "Please don't, Joker. You can't take both Harley and Alice from me! You just can't!" Samantha pleaded.

"I told you, I'm a man of my word," he chuckled.

"That's the biggest lie I've ever heard," a smooth voice retorted.

The Joker spun around and received a punch to the jaw. His fedora fell off his head and landed on the floor. He staggered backwards and fell against Samantha. She shoved him off and slipped out from under him. The Joker laughed hysterically, feeling his jaw to make sure it was still connected to his face. "Why, Eddie, what took you so long?" he asked. Without warning, the Joker lifted his gun and pulled the trigger. But instead of a bullet, a BANG! Flag poped out. The Joker looked at it with mild surprise.

The Riddler smirked and stepped forward. "Looks like you got the wrong gun, clown," he said, taking off his bowler hat and tossing it to the side. He was going to give this clown what was coming to him. The Joker looked up at Nigma and grinned. _"Why is he smiling?"_ Nigma wondered.

"The joke's on you, Eddie!" The Joker cackled and took aim once again, laughing. Nigma stopped in his tracks. Suddenly, Samantha rammed into the Joker just as he pulled the trigger, making him loose his aim, and the BANG! flag's metal rod imbedded itself into the wall behind Nigma. The Joker and Samantha hit the floor from the force of their impact. He glared at her dangerously. "Samantha, you ruined the punch line!" he shouted, tossing the fake gun to the side.

The Joker stood to his feet as he reached into his coat for the real gun. The Riddler swung his fist into the clown's face and the weapon fell out of his hands. Nigma pulled back his fist to deliver another hit and the Joker blocked him. "Done using your cane, old man?" the Joker asked.

"Not exactly," Edward replied and swiftly rammed the head of his cane into the Joker's abdomen. He doubled over, releasing the Riddler's hand.

Samantha struggled in her dress as Alice helped her to stand. "Do you always leap first and think last?" she asked, exasperatedly. Samantha gave a breathless laugh.

"Come on, pretty boy!" the Joker taunted. Nigma narrowed his eyes and lunged at him. The Joker stepped away and watched as Edward tried to stop himself before crashing into the small, ornate, table behind the Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime let out a high-pitched laugh and slapped his knee. "You know, Eddie; it's just possible that you're as much fun to fight with as Batman." The Riddler clung to the table's edge and glared daggers at him. The Joker lifted an eyebrow and feigned a look of hurt. "That's a compliment," he informed Nigma.

Edward lifted the small table and threw it at the Joker. The Joker backed away and barely missed the table. He glanced over at Samantha and winked when he saw she was looking. _"He's showing off,"_ she thought in disbelief.

The Joker pulled out his knife and paused. Didn't he have the remote in that same pocket? He hadn't felt it when he grabbed his knife. He dug around in his coats' various pockets. It wasn't there!

A coaxing whistle brought his attention to Samantha. In her hand was the remote. "Looking for this, darling?" she asked, smirking. The Joker's eyes caught a flash of metal in Samantha's other hand; his knife.

Edward looked over at her and gave the remote a curious glance before looking back at the Joker to see his response. She must have taken it when she had 'tackled' –there was no other word for it – the Joker. "Nice job, Samantha," the Riddler murmured.

The Joker let a devilish grin spread along his face. "Naughty, naughty; taking things that don't belong to you, Samantha. That's a big no-no," he said in a sickeningly playful voice. He moved a step closer.

"I can do even worse," Samantha told him.

"Oh?" The Joker cocked his head to the side and licked his lips, taking another step towards Samantha. "Like wha**t-ah**?"

"Like this." Samantha popped open the panel on the remote and cut the connection wire. The Joker's fist closed around the handle of his knife and started to increase his pace towards her. "Time to go, Alice!" Samantha urged.

The Joker was jerked backwards by a hand on his coat's collar. "Lock the doors behind you, Samantha!" Edward shouted. Samantha and Alice went through a set of double doors. Samantha spun around to grab the door handles and paused, locking eyes with Edward. She quickly broke the contact and slammed the doors closed, locking them.

"Now what?" Alice asked.

"Now we find help." Samantha grasped Alice by the hand and they took off.

…

The Joker twisted out of Edward's grip and calmly adjusted his coat. "Let's be, uh, civil_ized_ here." He raised an eyebrow and ran his tongue over his bottom lip. "Maybe we can talk this ou_**t-ah**_," he said, over enunciating his T.

The Riddler shook his head, making red strands of hair fall into his face. "No tricks, Joker."

"I don't do tricks, Eddie. I joke; hence the name 'Joker'. If I did tricks, I'd be called the Tricksterrr, _and it_ _just doesn't have_ that nice of a ring to it. Sounds girly," the Joker explained, occasionally sing-songing his words.

"Enough!" Edward snapped. The Riddler charged towards the Joker, dealing a kick to the clown's stomach which slammed him into the wall.

The Joker felt the air leave his lungs and he slid to the floor, a bit disoriented. He regained his senses and groaned loudly. He let out a wheezy laugh and stood up. "Now, now, Eddie; you're being a baaad boy. Didn't mommy teach you to play nice with the other boys?" The comment stirred the growing anger in Edward and he dove at the Joker. The Joker calmly stepped aside.

The Joker pushed Edward's outstretched fist away and flicked him on the forehead. The Riddler stepped back, cocking an eyebrow at the Joker. _"Did he really just __**flick**__ me on the forehead?" _he thought. "How old are you!" Edward shouted.

The Joker simply smiled and took the moment to grab Nigma by the wrist. He spun him around, holding Edward's arm behind his back, and held a knife up to Nigma's throat. "Oh look! I win!" the Joker cried cheerfully.

Edward jabbed his free elbow into the Joker's stomach. He was surprised the man didn't cough up the organ by now from all the blows he'd been receiving in that area. The air left the clown's lungs and he stumbled back, causing the blade to cut a small line across Nigma's throat. Edward reached up and touched the wound, sighing in relief when he found it to be a mere scratch with barely any blood flowing. The Riddler spun around and took the opportunity when the Joker was off balance and delivered a blow to the Joker's cheek. He fell to the floor and Nigma drove the heel of his foot into the Joker's shoulder.

The Riddler glared down at the Joker as the clown rolled over onto his back and smirked up at him. The Joker began to giggle. "You, you, you can't _**stand it**_, can you? You can't stand the thought of me being alone with Samantha! You can't stand that I might have taken advantage of her first, right? Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Edward growled at the smug look and kicked him in the face, jumping out of the way when the Joker tried to kick him off.

The Riddler moved his hair away from his eyes and gripped his cane with both hands, ready to swing. Just as the handle was about to meet his opponent's head, the Joker ducked and rolled. He leapt to his feet and backed away. "Back to using the can, I see. I knew you couldn't last without it." The Joker began to laugh and backed against the door behind him. He quickly craned his neck around and saw that it was a fire escape to the roof.

Edward winced at his failure to remember that there was a door there and that he should have blocked it off. The Joker shoved the door open with his shoulder. "Come on, Eddie! How about a little game of follow the leader?" he cackled as he disappeared behind the door.

The Riddler started for the door and hesitated. His eyes searched the floor and landed on the gun. He scooped up the weapon and stowed it into one of his pockets. "This ends now," he growled and chased after the Clown Prince of Crime.

The stairs lead Nigma to the part of the building that was being renovated. Some walls were still not in place, metal poles were not covered, power grids and exposed wiring made the area an eyesore. The floors were still concrete slabs, covered with oil stains and many other things. It was very dark due to the fact that the lights had yet to be hooked up to their proper power sources. Plastic sheets covered certain tools, which fluttered in the slight breeze. At first glance they looked like ghosts. The Riddler shivered at the creepy effect.

Edward cautiously made his way further into the space and kept his eyes peeled. He had a feeling the Joker was watching him. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard someone start humming. Nigma did not recognize the tune. It sounded like the Joker was making it up as he went on. It was making Edward's skin crawl. The melody would have sounded cheerful, but the Joker had twisted it and made it haunting and chilling. It bounced off the walls of the empty area.

As the humming continued, Edward's patience grew thin. "Where are you?" he shouted.

The humming came to a sudden stop. "No need to yell; this place echoes enough," the Joker complained as he stepped out into the open. He jabbed a pinkie finger into his ear and jimmied it around as if his eardrum was in pain. He grinned at the Riddler and put both arms behind his back, clasping his hands together. "You sure are persistent; willing to drop _every_thing to save the one who has your heart wrapped around her finger. Liiike Batman and what's-her-name? Uh, Rachel? He tried to save her and you know what happened?" The Joker took Nigma's silence as a sign to continue. He made a very realistic sound of an explosion while waving his hands around.

"You don't deserve to live," Edward growled.

"None of us do! _Yet here we are_; staring each other downnn, ready to figh_**t-ah**_…. Why does this sound familiar?" The Joker tapped his chin as if searching for an answer and faked an expression of discovery. "Oh yeah; Batsy! We used to do this all the time before _youuu_ came along. Now I'm busy fighting you and Batsy's busy tracking you down. See, Eddie; you're pre-sen-ting a distraction to both of us and to Samantha. When I come upon a distraction, I usually… ge_**t**_. Rid. Of. I_**t-ah**_. And that's what I'm going to do. You think you can take this city like I did?" the Joker gave a scoffing laugh. "This is _**my **_city. See, that's _another _reason why you have to die. Oh they're all piling up now! Trying to kill me, trying to prove you're better than me?" He laughed at the last one before picking right back up where he left off. "Distracting me and Batsy from our little 'get togethers', and the icing on top; … breaking poor Samantha's hear_**t**_-_**ah**_."

The Riddler flinched at this last remark.

"Oooh; touched a sore spot, hm? Weeell, I'm sorry 'bout that. I deserve to be punished." The Joker spread his arms out and presented himself as a free target. "Come on! Hit me! Kill me! I want ya to do it! Come on!" his voice rang out.

Edward should have known. He should have known that the Joker would not give him a free shot; but he was so blinded by rage that he couldn't think straight. He charged towards the Joker, can held up high to strike him. Just as he was close enough, the Joker grabbed hold of the Riddler's cane with one hand and the Riddler's arm with the other. Edward tried to bring the cane down on the Joker, using as much of his strength as possible, but the two were equally matched at the moment.

"You'll pay for what you've done!" the Riddler growled through clenched teeth.

The Joker raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "What _I've _done? It was _all you, _Eddie!"

Nigma's arms nearly fell slack at the shock of the Joker's words. "Me?" he hissed, sparks lighting up within his eyes. "You dare to blame _me_ for what _you've _done to Samantha?"

"You had just as much of a hand in it too."

The Riddler tried to tear himself and his cane away, but the clown's grip never weakened. The Joker let out a breathless laugh and wet his lips. "I mean, heh heh heh, _think _about it! You didn't believe her."

"That's not true! I did believe her!"

"Oh? Is that why you did _ev-ry_thing humanly possible to make sure she wouldn't fall victi_**m-ah**_ to the _**obsessed**_, psychopath that she had nightmares about; hm?"

The Riddler didn't answer; he jerked out of the Joker's grasp and stood ready for another attack. The Joker casually circled him; his eyes laughing. "I bet she even tried to tell you about what happened, about her fears, but yo_uuuu_ wouldn't listennn. Isn't that right?"

"Wrong! I did listen to her!"

"Really? And what was your reply; hm? 'it's going to be fine,' , 'He can't hurt you anymore,' , … 'Don'_**t-ah **_worry abou_**t **_i_**t-ah**_'."

The Riddler drew a sharp intake of breath. Those _were _his responses.

The Joker rolled his eyes and went on. "I bet she got so tired of those same replies; I bet she finally just quit trying to tell you about it anymore. _Because you wouldn't __**listeeen."**_

Edward's hands gripped his cane, tightly. "That's enough!"

The Joker stopped circling and chuckled. "Oh but, Eddie, I'm _faaar_ from being finished." He suddenly lunged at the Riddler. Edward felt pain shooting up his spine when his back made contact with the cement floor. The Joker leaned in and laughed. ""You didn't put up too much of a fuss when you found out that I was under her care for a _whole mont__**h-ah**_ at the hospital. You didn't try your hardest to be by her side when her, uh, 'nightmare' had escaped from his prison and was _roaming free_ to terrorize the city."

Nigma grunted as he grabbed the Joker by the shirt's collar and used his own weight to flip their bodies around. This time the Joker was the one on the ground, lying on his back. Nigma placed his foot on the Joker's chest and applied some weight on it. The Joker barred his teeth, but kept giggling. He latched onto the Riddler's leg and pulled, causing Nigma to lose balance and fall. Both men scrambled to their feet, determined not to let the other have an advantage.

The Joker received a blow to his jaw and sent him reeling. He crashed against a column and Nigma lost no time in trapping with his cane against the clown's throat. "Anything **else** you want to say?" Nigma snarled.

The Joker gagged but managed to have enough air to continue speaking. "And your performance at the wedding ceremony? Do you even _**love **_her?" he choked.

Nigma shoved the cane against the Joker's windpipe even harder. The Joker wheezed out a laugh. "Of course I love her!" Edward bellowed.

The Joker moved his head around to adjust the position of the cane at his throat. "Are you sure about that?" he grunted and moved his head again, finding a more favorable position. "_Granted, _you didn't know that I had replaced your name with my ownnn and thought that if I went through the ceremony it wouldn't be legal. _Bu__**t-ah,**_" he emphasized his T before going on, "most husbands-to-be wouldn't even let a guy like me come anywhere _near_ his blushing bride-to-be. You barely put up a fight!" The Joker's eyes suddenly changed from deep brown to an impenetrable black and they bore into Nigma. "You practically _**GAVE THE BRIDE AWAY!"**_ The Joker fell into a wild fit of insane laughter.

Nigma let out a yell of rage as he kicked the Joker to the ground. He began to drive his fists into the Joker's chest, head, face, anything! The Joker only whooped with laughter. "You filthy, sick, masochistic, murdering, psychopathic, clown!"

The Joker's hand clamped around the fist coming towards his head and brought his own fist against the side of Nigma's face. The Riddler growled and rolled to the side. The Joker leapt to his feet with a little bounce and watched Edward push himself off the floor. The Joker felt something warm at the corner of his mouth and touched it with his tang. The coppery tang of blood covered his taste buds. He snickered and decided on a new form of attack; one he learned from dear old Batsy.

Before Nigma could turn to face the Joker, the clown vanished into the shadows. Edward's heart rate accelerated as he searched with his eyes for the Joker. "You're a coward for hiding!"

"Just like y_ouuu_ were a coward for not defending your lovely bride?" The Joker's voice bounced off the walls, echoing everywhere.

"We've already discussed that!"

"I'm suuure Samantha wouldn't want aaa, uh, '_coward'-,"_ the Riddler flinched when he heard the voice speak into his ear, "for a husband." Nigma whirled around in time to see a blur of white and purple fade back into the darkness.

"Samantha knows I love her and that I would do anything for her!"

"Oh I'm not sooo sure she does." Edward saw the Joker peek around the corner of a metal structure. He took off towards him. The Joker sneered but stayed put. "Samantha's starting to have doubts…"

"What did you do to her?"

The Joker moved away just as Nigma reached him. "_**Me**_? I haven't done anything to her… _**except**_…"

Edward's heart stopped at that word. "Except **what**?" he seethed. He peered around the structure, straining his eyes to see into the darkness.

"Oooh… just a little … contact at night." A pair of arms wrapped around Nigma from behind, restricting his movements. The cane was wrenched away and thrown aside. Edward cursed himself for not seeing this coming. His shirt tore as he struggled and a few buttons fell to the floor. "You know, just comforting her in her time of need." The Joker used the combined weight of both men to pull Edward to the ground. He pinned Nigma with his knee on his abdomen. "Something you never did…"

The Joker's breathing grew heavy and his lips curled into an evil grin as he pulled out a knife and inspected its blade. "You knooow… she's actually stopped talking about you…" He laughed and held Nigma's shoulder down. Edward felt his chest tighten at his words. The Joker's grin widened and he snaked his tongue along his scarred lips. "Isn't that like a-," he suddenly sank the blade of his knife into Nigma's bare chest, "_**stab **_to the heart?"

A scream ripped out of Nigma's throat. It wasn't a deep wound, but it was just enough to serve what the Joker wanted. The Joker began to twist and turn the blade in different directions, tearing the flesh and letting blood flow. The Joker was beside himself with laughter.

Out of the corner of Nigma's blurred eyes, he could make out the shape of his cane. He stretched out his free arm while the Joker was occupied with carving his body. A wave of white-hot pain flashed along his chest and spread like wild fire. He squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth. What was the clown _**doing**_!

The Joker pulled out the knife, only to swiftly bring it down again and twist it. He wasn't trying to kill him; oh no, not yet. He wasn't through with Nigma.

The Riddler cried out on sheer agony just as his fingers touched the cane. He grabbed hold and swung his arm, busting the Joker upside the head. He felt the pressure lifted from his chest instantly. The Joker rolled to his feet, still wielding the bloody knife. His eyes shone wildly as he grinned at Edward. Nigma staggered to stand upright and clutched his bleeding chest. _"What the…?" _He removed his hand from the wound to see the Joker had carved a _**question mark**_ into his skin!

…

Commissioner Gordon and his team followed Batman as they raced down a hall that they believed would lead them to the locked doors and what was beyond them. Just when they were about to round a corner, two young women burst through a door to their left. Batman instantly recognized them to be Alice and Samantha. He wasted no time with words. "Where are they?" he nearly shouted.

Samantha darted across the room and latched onto Batman's arm. "Come on," she urged breathlessly, and began to guide them back the way she and Alice had come.

**(Sooooo…. What do ya think? Worth the wait? Did ya like it? Hate it? Leave me a review! Also, I still want to know if anyone would like to do some fan-art for my stories. Please leave me a message if you're interested!)**


	23. Chapter 23

**(Shadowscreator nearly killed me when she read this chapter. … Please refrain from following her example. Thank you. I suggest listening to 'And I Thought My Jokes Were Bad' first and then 'A Dark Knight' from the film The Dark Knight while you read this chapter. Enjoy the chapter.)**

Chapter 23

Commissioner Gordon lowered his talkie from his mouth as he kept pace with the dark knight and Samantha Reads. "I just called in another S.W.A.T team and the paramedics. They should be here in twenty minutes," Gordon informed Batman and Samantha.

"That's not soon enough. I'm going after them alone," Batman said.

"I can't let you do that. There's two maniacs now."

"If I stay here and wait, they could escape and then there could be _more_." Batman paused in front the doors Samantha had locked. She quickly unlocked the doors and the whole team spilled into the room. No one was there.

Batman scanned the room and saw the open door to the roof. He took a step towards it and caught a similar motion happening from the corner of his eyes. Samantha was moving with him towards the fire escape. His hand closed around her injured arm and Samantha inhaled sharply. Batman immediately let go when he noticed but still held his stern expression. "No."

"I _have _to go up there!" Samantha insisted.

"You'll only put yourself in danger."

"Isn't that what you're doing?"

"Stay," Batman ordered. Samantha glared at his dog like command. She was similar to him, he realized. Her sense of justice and conviction to carry out what was right was nearly identical to his own. Batman turned his attention back to Gordon. "Wait here for the S.W.A.T team and paramedics." He briefly shot Samantha a look. "Make sure she stays here," he added.

Gordon nodded and turned to smile apologetically at Samantha. "When the teams get here," he said to Batman as he began to face forward again, "should we join you or wait for a signal-?" The Batman was gone. "I hate it when he does that."

…

The Joker burst into hysterics at the sight of the Riddler's face. "A present from me!" He took a bow, bending at the waist and the murderous glint returned to his eyes. He tossed his knife from one hand to the other. "This town isn't big enough for _**two **_homicidal maniacs! Sooo, I guess I'll have to just narrow it down to little ol' me." The Joker twirled his knife in his hand as he lazily strolled towards Nigma.

Edward was still clutching his wound, blood oozing between his fingers and dripping down his arm and chest. He was losing blood fast and he had no delusions that he was still fit to keep up the hand to hand combat, so…

As the clown drew nearer, Edward slowly moved his free hand towards his hidden weapon. "Riddle me this…," he said forcibly, hoping to delay the Joker. The Joker's steps seemed to slow just a notch and he cocked his head to the side. "What stays where it is, when it goes off?"

The Joker touched the corner of his scarred mouth with his tongue. "What?" he asked in a bored tone.

The Riddler drew out his hand from his coat pocket. The Joker's eyebrows rose. "A gun," Edward smirked. Suddenly, a black shape bull-dozed over Edward and knocked him to the ground. The shape slapped away the gun and moved away. The Joker noticed that Edward didn't budge; apparently he had hit his head hard against the concrete.

The Joker gave the shape a charming smile. "Well hello there, Batman," he greeted. In the blink of an eye, Batman crossed the room and grabbed the clown by the shirt and lifted him off his feet. "You're going back to Arkham."

"Will you be joining me this time?"

Batman drove his knee into the Joker's stomach. The Joker laughed as if he had been tickled. That only maddened Batman.

….

Gordon stood impatiently with his team and the two young women. He rolled up his sleeve to check his watch. "Any minute now," he said to himself. He glanced back at Samantha. "I know this must be hard for you."

"Yeah. It's hard," Samantha said, distractedly.

A commotion was heard behind the team. They turned to see a thug get slammed to the floor by a cop. He protested the entire time his hands were placed in cuffs. "Another one down," Gordon muttered. He turned back to Samantha, but she wasn't there. He looked around and still didn't see her. Gordon swore.

….

Samantha kicked off her shoes before climbing the stairs, running for all she was worth She had to get up there before Edward did something terrible and Batman would have to hurt him.

….

Edward's eyes slowly flickered open. His vision was a blur and the voices sounded distorted. Everything was in slow motion as he lifted his head. The Riddler's upper body soon followed. Laughing was coming from his left. He turned to face the sounds and saw Batman holding the Joker with his feet dangling off the ground. Edward's vision snapped into focus and his eyes fell on the gun not too far way.

Nigma looked back at the two men and smirked. They weren't paying attention to him. He crawled over to the weapon and closed his fingers around it.

"It's over, Joker!" Batman shouted in the Joker's face.

"So very true, Batman," The Riddler said, sinisterly. He took great pride when the Batman's shoulders tensed. Batman lowered the Joker enough to where his feet were once again touching the floor.

"Have a nice nap?" the Joker jeered at Nigma.

Nigma raised his arm and aimed the gun at the dark knight and the Joker. "Riddler me this… 'In a tunnel of darkness lies a beast of iron. It can only attack when pulled back… what is it?"

"Nigma-," Batman began.

"Oooh; I'm sorry! But that's the wrong answer. The correct answer is; 'A bullet'." Nigma pulled the trigger on the Joker first. But nothing happened. The Joker went limp in Batman's hold as he was overcome in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Edward pulled the trigger over and over, unable to understand why nothing was happening. He checked the chamber and found it empty.

"Looks like the joke's on you again! Ha ha ha ha! A misstep. An aberration. Cricket chirps after a _**failed**_ _**joke**_! Ha ha ha ha hee hee ha ha!"

Edward hurled the gun away with a fierce growl of rage. He lifted his golden cane above his head, ready to charge. Batman shot his grapple gun at Edward's cane handle and the wire wrapped around it perfectly. He pulled on the wire with as much force as possible using only one hand, hoping to jerk Edwards' cane of surprises out of his grasp. What happened was not what he desired…

The Riddler held on tightly to his weapon, refusing to let go. Batman's pull jerked it forward and Edward heaved it back, whipping it to the side. Batman's eyes widened at the sight of where the cane's metal handle was going and quickly detached his wire. Nigma's cane was thrust back and stabbed the center of the floor's main power grid and its exposed wires. Sparks spewed and smoke issued from the box as Edward screamed. The muscles in his hand locked and would not release the very thing that was electrifying him. He tried to let go, he really did, but it was impossible! Small bolts of electric blue spouted out and made evil hissing sounds. All the while, Edward screamed. His body began to shake and convulse.

Batman was momentarily stunned into immobility; even the Joker had stopped laughing and lifted an eyebrow. Batman shoved him to the concrete floor and dashed to the grid, determined to save Nigma.

…

Samantha was about to pass the room and keep heading for the rooftop, but a sudden flash of light and a scream stopped her from going any further. She ran inside and was greeted with the sight of Edward being electrocuted. She felt her heart leap and hurried towards him. Batman was already at the power grid, trying to find the lever to shut off the power.

"_How many volts are coursing through his body? Enough to kill him?"_ Thousands of other questions were racing through Samantha's mind. Just as she reached Batman, he threw the switch and successfully cut off the power. Edward stopped convulsing and he stood still for a moment. His eyes rolled back into his head and the cane fell from his hands. His body began to sway. Samantha rushed over and caught him in her arms before he collapsed. His weight forced her to get on her knees and lower him to the floor. She held onto him tightly.

Edward was unconscious; his breathing was irregular. Samantha could feel his body still slightly trembling. She looked up at Batman and saw he was handcuffing the Joker to a metal pole. "He's gonna be okay, right? He's gonna be okay?" Samantha asked in a shaky voice.

Batman hesitated before he answered. "I don't know. Commissioner Gordon and his men will be here soon." He tugged on the cuffs to make sure they were secure around the Joker's wrist and the pole. The Joker sneered at him and looked back at Samantha. She was cradling Nigma in her arms, gazing at his face with such a heartbroken look in her eyes. She gently brushed aside the hair from Edward's face. The Joker felt his muscles tighten at the sight of them together. His tongue darted across his lips and the skin near his nose twitched. He didn't like this. Not. One. Bit…

Samantha seemed completely unaware of the Joker's burning stare as she focused on the man she was holding. She didn't even realize Batman was kneeling beside her until he reached out and brushed his gloved fingers against her arm. She flinched at the touch but remained calm. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I'm always fine."

Batman lifted his eyes to check on the Joker. He was startled by the intensity of the Joker's gaze at Samantha. His dark eyes followed her hands as they caressed Edward's cheek or ran through his disheveled hair. The Joker bit the inside of his cheek and would occasionally throw a quick glance at his restrained hand, but then focus on Samantha again.

Batman checked Nigma's pulse. There was little he could do for the man. The sound of Gordon and his team coming up the stairs reached their ears. Samantha looked back at the door and returned her attention to Edward. "You better go. The police may not have said anything about arresting you back there, but now that they've got their men the rules will probably change…" She trailed off, her eyes still fixed on Edward's face.

Batman backed away after throwing the Joker a warning glance. The clown's face pulled back into a mischievous grin. "See ya later, Batsy!" he sing-songed. Batman disappeared just as Gordon and his crew burst in. "Ain't that just like the cops; aaalways showing up _**after **_the action has happened," the Joker said.

After seeing that the Joker was restrained, Gordon immediately went to Samantha. He kneeled onto one knee, slightly grunting at the motion; he wasn't as young as he used to be. He put his gun back into its holster. "Mrs. Reads?" he said, softly.

"He was electrocuted," Samantha informed Gordon. The slight catch in her voice didn't escape his notice. He placed his hand over hers and gave a reassuring smile.

"It's going to be okay," he told her.

…

Two paramedics came and lifted Edward Nigma onto a carry stretcher. The Joker grinned at the officers who surrounded him as he was detached from the pole. "Oh so many familiar facesss!" he giggled, wildly. He paused at one face and continued laughing. "Weeell, we have a newbie! More fun!" he taunted the nervous rookie.

Gordon stood with his hands on his hips and shook his head. "He sure likes to talk," he muttered tiredly.

"Yes he does." Samantha pulled the jacket Gordon had given her closer to her body as a breath of wind slithered past them. "Did you find Tommy Tetch?" she asked suddenly.

"No. Apparently he regained consciousness before we could get to him. He's gone. We have almost all of the Joker's thugs and the Riddl- Nigma's thugs in custody. They'll be sent to Black Gate Prison."

"And Alice?"

"She's on the ground floor waiting for you."

"What about Harley?"

"We have her at the MCU. She'll be transferred to Arkham Asylum."

Samantha put a hand to her head and squeezed her eyes shut. The unmerciful pain had returned and with it came exhaustion. She felt so weak. Gordon could see it on her face. He touched her by the arm and tugged her towards the door. "Let's get you home," he suggested.

Samantha gave him a tired smile and let him guide her to the exit. Behind her, she could hear the Joker still cackling and talking. "Lit up like a light bulb! You should have seen it! It was brilliant!" He hooted and chuckled incessantly all the way down.

**(Me: "Ohmigosh! This is getting so tense! I can't wait to hear from my readers when they finish reading this!"  
Joker: "Who said that they'd review?"  
Me; "Well, they just gotta! It's like an unspoken promise!"  
Joker: "I doubt you'll even get ten people to review on this chapter."  
Me: "You wanna make that a bet?"  
Joker: "Sure; why not."  
Me: "Okay. But I'm going to leave your fate up to the reviewers! When they review this chapter, they should also send a suggestion of what you have to do as the consequence for losing."  
Joker: "Hey! That's practically bribing them to review!"  
Me: "I don't think of it like that; I think of it more as aaaaan … encouragement. **


	24. Chapter 24

**(Me: *singing* "**_**Hot child in the city! Hot child in the city! Runnin' wild and lookin' pretty! Hot child in the city!" **_**  
Joker: "What are you doing?"  
Me: Uh, singing, Dumb Dumb."  
Joker: "Why?"  
Me: "Because you, my purple clad friend, have lost the bet!"  
Joker: "What?"  
Me: "Mh-hm!" *does a little dance* "Loser! Loser! Loser!"  
Joker: "How many reviewed?"  
Me: "Fifteen. And the suggestions for you were that you wear a pink tutu during the entire chapter and do a dance. I like both of those; sooooooo," *holds out a pink tutu to the Joker* "Start dancing."  
Joker: *reluctantly takes the tutu.* "I had to open my mouth, didn't I?" *puts on the tutu.* "What kind of dance?"  
Me: "Caramell Dansen."  
Joker: *starts to dance and looks over at me.* "Is that a video camera!"  
Me: "Of course it is! I mean, I know how much you love to video tape things." *snicker*  
Joker: "Give me that camera!" *lunges at me and a scuffle begins.* **

Chapter Twenty-Four

After questioning the thugs, Samantha, and Alice, Gordon was able to locate the Joker and Nigma's hideouts. He offered Samantha and Alice a ride home in his car. "I'll have to stop by Nigma's hideout though; Detectives Stephens will be checking the Joker's place with his team. We have to get evidence," Gordon informed Samantha. She nodded and ducked into the back seat of his car with Alice. During the ride, Gordon kept suggesting that Samantha should have her gun wound looked at by a doctor.

Samantha gave the man a tired smile and a weary laugh. "I'm a nurse, Commissioner; I know if I need medical attention. I'm fine." The car was stopped in front of a building with dark brick work. Two other squad cars were already there. Detective Yin stood outside her car, waiting.

Gordon sighed as he put the vehicle in park and hesitated to take out the keys from the ignition. "This is where Nigma stayed… do you want to…?"

"I'll stay in here," Samantha murmured. Gordon nodded to show he understood and left the car running. Three cops followed him along with Detective Yin. One cop was left to look after Alice and Samantha. The cop walked over and tipped his head at them in acknowledgement and to set them at ease. Samantha nodded back, still wary of any cops. He signaled to her that he wanted Samantha to unroll the window. Samantha lowered it halfway.

"Are you Mrs. Samantha Reads?" the officer asked.

"Yes."

The officer nodded. "You are one heck of a woman. Not everybody could have gone through what you have and lived."

Samantha stared back at him in silence, unsure of what to say. "Thank you," she whispered. Only Alice heard the tremor in Samantha's voice.

Half an hour went by and Gordon emerged from the building after straightening out what was to be done with the equipment found in Nigma's place. He didn't come out empty handed. Gordon opened the back passenger door, his eyes slightly playful. "I think I found something that might interest you," he said.

Samantha looked at what was in the commissioner's hands. There, snuggled deep in his arms, was Little Riddle. The cat raised his head and meowed when his eyes fell upon Samantha. Samantha's face brightened a little as Gordon transferred the cat from his arms to hers. "Nearly scared my rookie half to death… again," he joked.

"Thank you so much." Samantha smiled at the cat and then back at Gordon. He looked so tired; more tired than her. He couldn't be that old, but the job he had aged him. It didn't help that he and Batman seemed to be the only people who actually tried to clean up the city. "Thank you," Samantha repeated, this time with deeper meaning.

Gordon's moustache twitched as he smiled back and walked to his side of the car. He settled in his seat and set the vehicle in drive, pulling away from the Riddler's hideout. The dark knight watched from the roof of a neighboring building until they were out of sight.

…

The Joker was being held at the MCU for the moment until he could be transported to his old cell back in Arkham. His black suit jacket was off, his vest open, purple tie cast off, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his shirt had three buttons undone. The Joker bounced his right knee in a fast pace while he fidgeted with his hands. Anyone would have mistaken his inability to sit still as being nervous but it was really due to him being full of energy.

"Doesn't this seem familiar? It's ringing a bell, but I can't put my finger on it," the Joker teased the cops standing near his cell. They ignored his taunts as best they could. He stretched his back and popped his neck as he observed his cell. This time he was the sole occupant. His ears perked up when he recognized a familiar voice. "Detective Stephens! How's it bee_**n**_?" the Joker called out. Stephens sneered at him but kept his mouth shut. Talking is what got him in trouble the first time.

Stephens began to walk past the cell when a faint glimmer attracted his attention. It was coming from the Joker's hand. Stephens squinted to focus in on what was causing the glimmer and his right eyebrow lifted in confusion. Was the Joker wearing a ring; more specifically…a _**wedding **_ring? He didn't remember that being around the Joker's finger during Stephens' last encounter with the demented clown.

The Joker had been looking at something from the side, using his left arm to lean forward on his knee which left the ring in plain sight. He smirked at whatever it was he saw and turned his head. He noticed Detective Stephens' gaze and his leg stopped bouncing. He locked stares with Stephens. The Joker's eyes traveled down to the ring on his finger and his hand twitched. The Joker moved the hand out of sight and something sparked in his dark eyes when he met Stephen's gaze again. Stephens shook himself from his stupor and walked away. The Joker watched as the detective moved. His staring was interrupted by the sound of another familiar voice.

"Ya dirty rat!" a Brooklyn accented voice screeched. The Joker turned his head to see Harley being brought in by some cops. She was being transferred from the interrogation room to a cell of her own when she caught sight of the Joker. Harley pulled out of her escort's hold and ran to the Joker's cell. She grasped the metal bars tightly, glowering at the man who had deceived her.

The Joker gave Harley his most boyish grin as he stood up and came over to the cell bars. "Harley, how's it been?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned. Harley almost bought it until she caught a glimpse of the wedding ring. Her pretty face hardened and she glared at him with such a look that most men would have cringed under. The Joker didn't even bat an eyelash.

"You sleazy scum! You clown Casanova! You lied to me!" Harley grabbed the Joker by his shirt and pulled as hard as she could. The Joker's face hit the metal bars and he let out a grunt. Harley tried to do it again but two men hurried over and pried her off the Joker. They began to drag Harley away, still yelling insults. The Joker grinned at the spectacle Harley was creating. "You creepy worm! I'll kick that grin off your face! How could you do that to Sammy?"

The Joker backed away from the bars and collapsed onto his bench, letting loose a long string of high pitched laughter. After a while he finally calmed down and started to hum. One officer thought he recognized it from the charity ball. What was it? 'Sway'?

….

The Riddler/ Edward Nigma/ Edward Nashton was admitted into a hospital and were being given treatment immediately. The main concern was brain damage and blood loss. The wound in his chest would heal but leave a hideous and unusual scar. The damage to his brain from the electrocution …. They wouldn't know how bad it was until they got the test results.

….

Samantha and Alice were dropped off at Samantha's apartment with Detective Yin to watch over them. Samantha shifted Little Riddle around in her arms as she extended her hand out to Commissioner Gordon. "Thank you, Commissioner, for everything."

Gordon enclosed Samantha's hand with his own and held on. "If there is anything I can do, give me a call." He released her hand and fished out a card from his jacket pocket. "Normally I don't give out my number to every person I help, but considering your situation … I think Batman would want you to be able to contact me."

Samantha gratefully took the card and smiled. "If you see him again, could you tell him I said 'thanks'? I didn't really get a chance back there to tell him."

"I will." Gordon felt that Batman already knew Samantha's gratitude but he'd tell him anyway. Samantha turned to go up the steps. "Mrs. Reads?" The woman paused. "I think you should know it will be a few days before the Joker is put back behind bars in Arkham. We still have more questions for him to answer."

"And Edward?"

"He, uh, he'll be in the hospital till he wakes up. Then once he's deemed healthy enough to be released he'll be sent to Arkham."

Samantha's eyes dimmed at the news. "Would I be allowed to see him in Arkham?"

Gordon scanned the streets with his tired eyes as he spoke. "A case like his would probably be denied any visitors, but-," he looked back at Samantha, "I'll see what I can do."

Samantha gave a small smile. "You and Batman are too good for this city," she said, and finally entered the apartment complex.

….

Two days later, instead of staying at the apartment again and doing nothing, Samantha decided she needed to go back to work at the hospital. It wasn't the same hospital Edward was being treated, though she wished it was. Yin argued with Samantha the entire time she got ready for work. Alice stayed out of the argument, busying herself with Little Riddle. "It's too soon; and one of the Joker's thugs is still out there!" Yin told her.

Samantha gave a hollow laugh. "I hardly think _Tommy _has the guts to do anything to me. And as for it being too soon, I can't stick around here any longer and do nothing. I have a job to do." She finally left and hailed a cab, looking at the driver carefully before she got inside.

No one said anything to her when Samantha returned to work. They didn't have to. The GCN had been having a field day covering her story during the past two days and nights, telling everyone in Gotham City that Samantha Reads had been forced to marry the Joker. The skin under her wedding ring burned every time she caught someone looking at it. Some people glared at her as if Samantha had chosen to marry the Joker.

Others were scared of Samantha and avoided Samantha as much as possible. People she worked with that she had considered friends looked away or refused to speak to her. Samantha was all alone. She walked into the nurse's locker and headed for the far end of the room. An envelope was tapped to her locker door. Samantha's name was scrawled across the paper. She recognized the handwriting as her boss'. Samantha's stomach tightened. She had an idea what she would find inside. She opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper, stating that she was being 'let go'. Her suspicions were confirmed. No one wanted to be working with the Joker's wife.

Anger and hurt were the two emotions that Samantha struggled to control. She felt a sharp stab of pain at the side of her head. She began to massage the area with her fingers as she stared at the pink slip in her hand. It requested Samantha to clean out her locker and leave immediately. Her boss apologized that he was not able to deliver the news in person, but he was very busy that day.

Samantha scoffed through her nose and opened the locker. She wasn't going to argue or cause a scene; she didn't want to work in a place that didn't want her. Three pictures were tapped to the back of Samantha's locker door. One was a picture of Samantha and her parents on graduation, another of her, Harley, and Alice on Alice's twenty-fifth birthday, and the last picture was of Samantha and Edward. He was holding Samantha in his arms; both were smiling at each other. That photo made the pain Samantha felt increase. She cleaned out the locker and stuffed the few items into a shoebox she had kept inside. Samantha slipped out of the hospital the same way she walked in; ignored…

…

Samantha entered her apartment quietly, hoping she'd be able to sneak into her bedroom without running into Alice or 'Mother Hen' Yin. No such luck. "Back so soon?" Yin called from the kitchen, cradling a steaming coffee mug in her hands.

Samantha took a deep breath and let it out before turning to face Yin. "I was fired."

Yin's pencil thin eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Fired?" she repeated.

Samantha nodded and set her little box on the kitchen counter. A moment of silence filled the air. Yin cleared her throat and tried to cover it up. "Um…I brought up your mail and Alice is in the bedroom taking a nap."

"_So much for the bedroom idea,"_ Samantha thought. She scooped up her mail and headed for the sofa in the living room. Yin noticed the tiny box was open, giving her a glimpse of three pictures. Yin hesitated before pulling out the photos. Samantha looked so happy in the pictures. She glanced up at Samantha in the living room and saw that the woman in the pictures was different from the one she was watching over.

Samantha saw she had a letter from her landlord and ripped open the envelope. The phone rang before she could pull it out. "Hello?" Samantha greeted, sandwiching the phone between her ear shoulder as she used both hands to undo her shoe laces.

"Mrs. Reads, it's Gordon," came the voice on the other end.

Samantha successfully removed one shoe and sat up. "Commissioner," she said, anxious to hear what he was going to tell her.

"I have news about Edward. He's awake."

"Thank God," Samantha whispered. Relief flooded over her.

There was a long pause from Gordon. "He can't remember anything…"

Samantha froze in mid-shoe removal and slid the phone into her hand. "He lost his memory?"

"He remembers nothing about his past, or what he did as the Riddler; he can't remember the Joker or even…" Gordon's voice trailed off at the last part.

"Or even me?" Samantha finished.

"We mentioned your name to see how deep his memory loss was and he showed no indication of knowing you. He said he had no idea who you were," Gordon said, regrettably. He could only imagine the pain his news was causing. Samantha swallowed the lump in her throat and winced as another sharp pain attacked her head. "I set up a meeting with him for you at Arkham. Maybe if he sees you he'll remember," Gordon offered.

"When?"

"Tomorrow afternoon. I'll be in Arkham waiting for you around 1:00 pm."

"Alright," Samantha said in a strained voice.

"I'll see you then."

Samantha pressed the button to end the call.

Yin had been listening in and stepped out of the kitchen. "You okay?" Samantha quickly nodded, refusing to look at her. The letter from her landlord lay beside her. She picked it up and pulled the paper out; anything to get her mind off of this. Samantha began to read what was on the paper and felt her anger flare up. The paper was suddenly wrinkled in her balled up fist. It was a notice of her eviction from the apartment. First her job, now this?

Samantha's rage boiled over as she tore her shoe off and flung it across the room with a scream. The shoe hit a photo on the wall and knocked it off. It crashed to the floor with a loud 'Bang!' Samantha stretched out on the sofa and lay on her side, clutching her head. Yin ran over just as the door to the bedroom flew open and Alice came out. "Samantha?" she called, timidly.

Samantha remained silent. The paper was on the floor, crumpled. Yin discreetly picked up the paper and smoothed it out, scanning over the words before passing it to Alice. Alice read the letter and looked at Samantha sympathetically. She went over and kneeled down beside her friend, touching Samantha's shoulder. Samantha flinched under Alice's hand. "Samantha… you can stay with me until you get another place," Alice offered.

Samantha slowly released her head and looked at Alice. "After all I've put you through?" she asked.

"Is that a 'yes' or 'no'?"

Samantha wet her lips and nodded. "Thank you."

….

That night, Samantha started to pack her things into whatever she could find. Her landlord had not given her much time to move out and find a place to stay. The landlord had given her one week. Just one week. Boy, the citizens of Gotham really outdid themselves in their cold hospitality. Gotham was the breeding ground of the corrupted and the dishonest. Everyone looked out for themselves. No wonder people like the Scarecrow and the Joker were showing up.

Samantha paused in her packing. When did she start thinking like that?

**(Joker: "Where are you?"  
Me: "You think I'm actually going to tell you?"  
Joker: *looks in kitchen cupboard* "There you are."  
Me: "Yipe!"  
Joker: "Give me that camera!"  
Me: *clutches camera closer* "No!"  
Joker: "Give it to me now!"  
Me: "… You're not as threatening when you're wearing a pink tutu."  
Joker: "Really?" *takes off tutu* "Give me the camera!"  
Me: "Gah! Here!" *tosses the camera at him and runs out of the cupboard*  
Joker: "Finally!" *opens the camera to take out the disk and finds it empty* "What?"  
Me: "You said 'camera' not the disk!"  
Joker: "Kiiiiiiiid!"  
Me: "Please leave a review, dear readers!") **


	25. Chapter 25

**(Holy Crap… This is the last chapter… .Gosh! Is this really true? *flips around in notebook* It's True! This is the last chapter to Love & Chaos! This is… wow.)**

Chapter Twenty-Five

Samantha met with Gordon at Arkham Asylum as planned and he led her to the sign in desk. He confirmed Samantha's identity and they were given visitor passes. A guard showed up and signaled for them to follow. They were taken to a set of double doors that closed off the large room where the more docile patients were allowed to partake in activities. The guard punched in a sequence of numbers at the door and a low buzz was heard, signaling that they could enter.

Gordon pointed to a man with messy red hair sitting hunched over at a table by himself. "We told him that he was receiving a visitor, but we didn't tell him why. Mrs. Reads, you can't tell him how you know each other; that's the request of Dr. Arkham."

Samantha furrowed her brow. "I can't tell him that we were engaged?"

Gordon fidgeted uncomfortably. "Arkham said that Edward's condition at the moment is too delicate for us to unload such information on him."

Samantha sighed in frustration and looked over at Edward. "Do you mind if I see him alone?"

"I can't leave you alone with him."

"I'm just asking if you could stand here while I sit with him." Samantha asked with a little more tension in her voice than she had wanted to express. Gordon winced at it but nodded his consent. "Thank you."

Samantha slowly approached Edward. He had all his attention focused on a little puzzle-like device that he was working on. "Hi," Samantha greeted.

Edward quickly looked up from his contraption and gave an uncertain smile. "Good afternoon." He paused and scratched at his chin. "It _is _after noon now, right?" he asked.

"Yes, it is," Samantha chuckled, softly. She licked her lips as she tried to think of something else to say. "You look good."

Edward drew his brows together in confusion. "Have we met before?"

"Yes we have."

Edward suddenly looked pained. "I'm sorry," he said, sadly.

"Why are you sorry?"

Edward looked back down at his puzzle and lightly touched it with his fingertip. "The doctors here tell me that I did some bad things. Did I…," he nervously glanced up at her, "did I do something bad to you?"

Samantha bit down on her lip as she gazed at the innocent concern on Edward's face. He was so lost. She gave him a soft smile. "You didn't mean to," she answered, honestly. Edward had always been able to tell if she was lying; just because he lost his memories didn't mean he'd lost this ability as well.

Edward's face fell and his golden brown eyes returned to looking at his puzzle. He began to work on it again, piecing things together, twisting knobs, keeping his hands busy; hands that showed the signs of his electrocution accident. After a moment, he started talking again. "I, I can't remember you." He cautiously lifted his eyes back up to Samantha. "I didn't hurt you too badly did I?"

Samantha opened her mouth to respond but Edward suddenly waved away the question. "No! Don't tell me! I don't want to know if I did." Edward stopped working on the puzzle and rested his elbows on the table top, gazing at his hands. "They say I was electrocuted and that's why I can't remember anything."

Samantha's eyes unconsciously flicked over to Edward's burned hands. He ran his right hand through his hair. "I… I guess I should be glad I can't remember, but…," Edward trailed off, looking at the burns on his skin.

"But what?" Samantha prodded.

"What if I have someone looking for me? What if I have a family out there?"

Samantha felt her chest tighten and she briefly looked away. When she looked back, Edward was smiling gently at her. The smile instantly gave way to a comedic realization. "I'm sorry; I forgot my manners. Please sit down," he said as he motioned to the chair across from him.

Samantha lowered herself into the chair and spotted a colorful Rubix Cube to the left edge of the table. She grabbed it and started to try solving the puzzle as she thought of another conversation starter. "Sooo, can you remember anything?"

Edward watched Samantha with amusement as she tried to match all the colors. "Oh, I know a few details about myself; like my favorite color- green, in case you're interested -, my favorite foods, how old I am. Trifles." He chuckled when Samantha began to get frustrated with the cube and he gently took it from her. "But when I try to grasp at some bigger details," he twisted and spun the pieces of the cube into several complicated combinations, "I fall flat on my face." With a final grand twist, Edward finished the Rubix Cube and set it down on the table in between him and Samantha. "At least I still remember I hate lima beans."

"Is there anything else that you remember? Maybe something like… I don't know… Any dreams?"

Edward shifted uncomfortably in his seat and glanced over his shoulder at the guards and orderlies in the room before looking back at Samantha. He leaned forward and folded his arms, still resting his elbows on the table. He nervously rubbed his left bicep as he tried to word what he wanted to say. "I… I do have this one thing that is always on my mind. When I told the doctors they didn't seem too happy to hear it. I think it might be because of my scar."

"Your hands don't look that bad-."

"No, not this," Edward interjected, moving his fingers around. He paused and hesitantly pointed to his chest. "_This_… I have one right here."

Samantha had almost forgotten that one. She swallowed and wet her lips, a habit she was starting to develop. "What is it that's always on your mind?"

"Question marks."

"Like your scar?"

Edward froze at Samantha's words. He hadn't told her what shape his scar was. He locked eyes with Samantha and tilted his head ever so slightly to the right. "Yeah… like my scar," he answered slowly.

Samantha felt a shiver work its way up her spine. The way Edward was looking at her was … slightly intimidating. Edward's eyes searched hers for answers as he leaned forward on his folded arms. "How did you know that my scar is in the shape of a question mark?" he asked.

Samantha felt her heart skip a beat when she realized her blunder. Before she could come up with an answer, Gordon walked over. "It's time to go," he told her. Samantha stood from her seat and gave Edward an apologetic smile. Edward moved to stand as well to show some respect to Samantha and saw Gordon's hand move to his gun. Edward froze and slowly lowered back into his seat.

"I'd stand and see you off like a gentleman, but apparently I can't," Edward said a little bitterly.

"I understand. It's the thought that counts."

Edward smiled at Samantha like he used to when he was flirting with her. The smile dampened a bit when a thought occurred to him. "Will I see you again?" he asked, anxiously. The hope in his voice was too apparent to ignore. His eyes pleaded with Samantha to say yes.

Samantha swallowed and nodded. "I'll try to visit; I promise."

Edward gave a genuine smile that reached his eyes and watched Samantha until she left his sight. He returned his attention to his puzzles. In the middle of solving one, he paused. He hadn't asked what her name was….

…

Samantha slowly walked down the hall, her head hanging low. Gordon had left after being called back to the MCU. She felt something wet on her cheek and dapped at it with the back of her hand. A single tear glistened on her skin like a diamond. Samantha quickly wiped away any remaining traces of the tear from her eye and cleared her throat. But the next thing she saw nearly brought on more tears.

"Sammy!" Harley cried and tried to run to her, smiling happily. She was held back by two guards on each arm. Her hands were cuffed and the chain clinked against the metal. Harley whipped her head around to face the guards. "Hey; be gentle! Hasn't ya mothers ever taught ya how to treat a gal?" she snapped.

Samantha could only stare at the woman that she had once known as Harleen Quinzel. That sick psycho path had done this to her! He had changed her best friend into someone just as deranged as him. He had deceived her, used her, abused her, and abandoned her.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Sammy," Harley said sincerely. Her blue eyes dropped to the floor, unable to look Samantha in the eyes. "I… I'm so…_so sorry_, Sammy." She looked back up with tears swimming in her eyes. "I really, really am." The tears began to spill down her cheeks and drip from her chin. "I sh- should ha-have believed you when you told me not to trust the Jo-Joker," she hiccupped. "I made a mess of everything!" Harley wailed. She hid her face behind her restrained hands and cried so hard her shoulders shook. The two guards handling her had no idea what to do.

Samantha stepped forward and took a deep breath. She slowly reached out and placed a hand on Harley's trembling shoulder. Harley tensed from the contact and her breath hitched as she peeked up at Samantha, bewildered. Samantha offered Harley a small smile. Harley's sobs turned into sniffles as she stared at Samantha. There was some form of forgiveness in the woman's green eyes.

"Good-bye, Harleen."

"…Good-bye… Samantha."

The guards led Harley away down the hall. She glanced over her shoulder at Samantha one last time and smiled. The moment they turned a corner, the smile vanished and was replaced by a look of shame. She was silent the whole walk to her cell. They pulled up in front of an empty room with the glass wall. No privacy.

The guard on Harley's right stepped up and entered the code to open the glass door. A 'click' was heard and the door slid open. Harley's hands were unshackled and she rubbed her wrists. The guards moved to escort Harley into the cell but she jerked away. "I can walk in by myself, thank you very much," she sniffed, haughtily. She still had a little sense of pride left. The guards looked at one another for a moment and nodded for her to go. Harley stood tall and walked inside with as much dignity as possible.

The small bed looked like a small comfort at the moment and she sat down on the itchy bed sheets. _"Who wouddah thought it's come to this?"_ she thought to herself. Harley curled up into a little ball and fiddled with a loose piece of grey fuzz on the blanket.

"_Never again. No more crazy obsessions… no more Joker. I finally see the Joker for what he really is. A lying, manipulative, murdering, no good, self-centered…"_

Harley caught sight of a single purple rose bud in a porcelain vase on her crummy night-stand. A note was tied around the rose's stem. "I'm sorry," was written in red ink and a large 'J' was at the bottom corner.

"Angel," Harley sighed, dreamily.

….

Samantha had her back against a wall, out of sight, as she fought to control the powerful urge to cry. After all she had been through, she had never shed a tear; not once. Until now. That one, solitary tear she had shed over Edward seemed to create a crack in the dame Samantha had built over the years since her parents' deaths. She took measured breaths as she struggled to keep her eyes dry. Once she was sure that no tears would be escaping, Samantha pushed off the wall and continued walking.

As Samantha walked, names and faces flashed through her mind. _Harleen Quinzel, Alice Fredricks, Tommy Tetch …Edward Nigma…_ All of their lives had been ruined by the Joker and they all had one thing in common. They knew Samantha.

"Excuse me?"

Samantha looked over to her left to see Dr. Arkham approaching her. "Yes?"

The doctor offered Samantha his hand and she shook it. He took note of how feeble her grip had felt. "I didn't know how to address you… considering…" His eyes drifted to the piece of jewelry on Samantha's finger.

Samantha loathed the ring. She wanted a divorce, an annulment; but the law in Gotham stated that the papers had to be signed by both the husband and wife. And Samantha had a feeling that no matter how badly Batman beat him, the Joker would never sign any papers.

"Just call me Samantha."

"Samantha; alright. I was wanting to talk to you about seeking therapy."

Samantha stiffened. Had the man set out to make her dislike him? "Therapy? No thanks." She stepped past Dr. Arkham.

"I have a very successful doctor in mind; Doctor Hugo Strange." Arkham hurried to Samantha's side and grasped her by the hand. Samantha recoiled from his touch, jerking her hand back and startled the doctor into a stunned and awkward silence. He held up a flimsy card. "I, uh… I was just going to give you his card." He held it out to her by the very edge of the card and waited for Samantha to take it. She begrudgingly took the card.

"Give him a call if you reconsider," Arkham told her.

"I highly doubt it," Samantha muttered, scanning over the small print. Dr. Arkham gave her an uneasy smile and walked away, leaving Samantha alone in the hallway. Anger flared up in Samantha and she crumbled the card in her hands. She gripped it between her fingers, ready to tear it to pieces, but paused. She smoothed it out and shoved it into her pants pockets.

Samantha froze in place when she saw who was being escorted by four armed guards and two orderlies. Dark brown eyes glinted when they lit upon her. "There she issss; the little lady of my life," the Joker slurred, lazily. His hands were cuffed in front of him and his feet were also in restraints. He stopped walking when he got close enough and bounced on the balls of his bare feet. "Came to see me off and kiss me good-bye?' he giggled.

Samantha squared her shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes. "No. I actually came here to visit, Edward."

The Joker suddenly went still and the smile on his face was gone. He chewed on the inside of his mouth before he spoke. "I heard the sap can't remember a thing," he said simply.

"No, he can't."

"Not even _you_?" he asked with raised eyebrows.

Samantha felt pain stab into her heart. "Not even me," she answered.

"Aaw; that must be heartbreaking_-ah_. Oh well. At least I won't have to worry about the little pest trying to steal _my wife_ from me."

Samantha clenched her fists. How could that word sound so wrong coming from him? "Have our marriage annulled, Joker! File for divorce! Take off that ring!"

The Joker's grin pulled back into an even larger one. He held up his manacled hands to show off the gold ring around his finger. "Oooh, this thing?" He wiggled his fingers. "Sorryyyy, but that's not going to happen. You see, I've, uh, I've grown rather attached to this ring fooor… sentimenta_l-ah _reasons. And nothing is going to make me take it off. Isn't that right, Regge?" He looked over his shoulder at one guard with a red bite mark on the skin of his hand. Reggie gripped his gun tightly and looked away from the clown.

"Better be glad I had my shots," the Joker snickered as he turned his head back around. He licked his lips, staring at Samantha intently. "The thing is, Samantha… I worked hard to get that ring on your finger. Do you honestly think I'm going to ever let you go?" He leaned in close, his breath tickling Samantha's ear. "You. Are. _Mine_. You _belong_ to me," he whispered. He pulled back to watch her face, smirking.

"Maybe on paper… but not in body, soul, or heart," Samantha retorted.

The Joker's smirk slowly morphed into a forced smile. "We'll see about that." He received a rough shove from a guard.

"Get moving!"

The Joker sent the guard a deadly glare and then looked back at Samantha. "I'll always find you." Coming from any one else those words would have been romantic, but coming from the Joker, it was a promise and a threat. And Samantha knew the Joker was a man of his word.

The Joker wasn't smiling as the guards forced him to move his feet. For once, he wasn't laughing. He was silent. Samantha watched him as he was led away.

"Hey, Joker," Samantha called. He turned his whole body around to look at her. "Why so serious?"

The Joker's eyes widened and a look of utter rage came over him. If he wasn't being held back by cuffs and guards, Samantha had no doubt in her mind that he would have killed her right then and there. Suddenly the Joker's glares changed into a grin and he whooped with laughter.

"Ooooh Samantha," he moaned. "You… truly are… something else. My own Queen of Hearts." He winked flirtatiously. "Oh… and tell Alice I said 'hello'." The Joker seductively kissed the air in Samantha's direction and let the guards take him away, laughing his head off.

Samantha stood frozen to the spot as the last of the Joker's giggles faded. Her hands were shaking and her heart was pounding. She could still hear him laughing. Why couldn't she get his voce out of her head? Samantha put her head in her hands and gave a trembling sigh.

"You're a very brave woman," a rough voice said.

Samantha gasped and looked up to find Batman hiding in the shadows.

How long had he been there?

He looked around before stepping out of the safety the shadows provided him.

Samantha still couldn't believe that after all Batman had done for Gotham he was still being hunted after by the police.

The Dark Knight moved closer to Samantha and gazed at her from beneath his cowl. Samantha thought she could detect some concern in his brown eyes.

_Brown, brown, brown. _Everyman in her life seemed to have brown eyes.

"He'll escape again," Samantha said.

Batman slowly nodded.

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that you need to be placed under protection and relocated."

Samantha shook her head. "I … can't. Believe me, I want to get away from here. Far, faaar away; but I can't just leave Edward and Alice. I just can't."

Batman looked down at the wedding ring on Samantha's finger. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

"I don't know. The hospital let me go, I got evicted from my apartment…" she gave a half-hearted laugh. "Geez; sometimes life just sucks, doesn't it?" She rubbed her temple and breathed through her nose. "I guess I'll have to start over. Alice told me I could live with her until I find my own place. After everything I put her through… she offers _me _her home."

"You kept her alive."

"But a tiny piece of her died."

"You did what most people in this city couldn't have done. I'll be checking in on you every now and then."

"Thank you."

"Things are going to change for you, Samantha."

Samantha smiled shoved her hands into her pocket. She felt the wrinkled card and pulled it out. Samantha gazed at the card for a moment. "Yeah… things are gonna change."

**(Ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Afjh nuhvnhkjg nkjthpo m ,jdn!3rqd ueg uh;! That's excited computer talk for; "THIS BOOK IS DONE!" **

**Joker: "Time to start the next one."**

**Me: "You're a troll, you know that? I'm going to need some time to finish writing the third book. Please leave me a review and thank you all SOOOOO much for favoriting, alerting, etc this story! It means a lot! Be on the look out for a sneak peek at the third book titled, "Chaotic Lullaby.") **


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